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Sam  Dicssosj  Finds  Little;  Wujje  Gax<k.— Page  ife! 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME 


OR, 


THROUGH  AFGHAN  PASSES. 


By  G.  a.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "True  totJie  Old  Flag"  "St.   George  for  England," 

"In  freedom's  Cause,"  "With  Glive  in  India,"  "Facing 

Death,"  "By  Sheer  Pluck"  etc.,  etc 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW  YORK: 

A.  L.  BURT,  PUBLISHER, 


stack 
Annex 

PREFACE. 


My  Dear  Lads: 

In  following  the  hero  of  this  story  with  the 
British  army  during  the  last  war  in  Afghanistan, 
you  will  be  improving  your  acquaintance  with  a 
country  which  is  at  present,  and  is  likely  to  be  so 
for  a  long  time,  of  supreme  interest  to  Englishmen. 
Afghanistan  stands  as  a  dividing  line  between  the 
two  great  empires  of  England  and  Russia,  and  is 
certain,  sooner  or  later,  to  become  the  scene  of  a 
tremendous  struggle  between  these  nations;  pos- 
sibly the  struggle  may  have  begun  before  these 
pages  are  read  by  you.  Happily,  at  the  present 
time  the  Afghans  are  on  our  side.  It  is  true  that 
we  have  lately  warred  with  and  beaten  them,  but 
our  retirement  after  victory  has  at  least  shown 
them  that  we  have  no  desire  to  take  their  country  ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  they  know  that  for  those 
upon  whom  Russia  has  once  laid  her  hand  there  is 
no  escape.  In  these  pages  you  will  see  the  strength 
and  the  weakness  of  these  wild  people  of  the 
mountains ;  their  strength  lying  in  their  personal 


iv  PREFACE. 

bravery,  their  determination  to  preserve  their  free- 
dom at  all  costs,  and  the  nature  of  their  country. 
Their  weakness  consists  in  their  want  of  organiza- 
tion, their  tribal  jealousies,  and  their  impatience 
of  regular  habits  and  of  the  restraint  necessary  to 
render  them  good  soldiers.  But  when  led  and 
organized  by  English  oflBcers  there  are  no  better 
soldiers  in  the  world,  as  is  proved  by  the  splendid 
services  which  have  been  rendered  by  the  frontier 
force,  which  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  Afghan 
tribesmen.  Their  history  shows  that  defeat  has 
little  moral  effect  upon  them.  Crushed  one  day, 
they  will  rise  again  the  next;  scattered,  it  would 
seem  hopelessly,  they  are  ready  to  reassemble  and 
renew  the  conflict  at  the  first  summons  of  their 
chiefs.  Guided  by  British  advice,  led  by  British 
officers,  and,  it  may  be,  paid  by  British  gold, 
Afghanistan  is  likely  to  prove  an  invaluable  ally  to 
us  when  the  day  comes  that  Russia  believes  herself 
strong  enough  to  move  forward  toward  the  goal  of 
all  her  hopes  and  efforts  for  the  last  fifty  years,  the 
conquest  of  India. 

Yours  sincerely,  ,, 

G.  A.  HENTY 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  »AOB 

The  Lost  Child 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Foundling 21 

CHAPTER  III. 
Life  on  a  Smack 40 

CHAPTER  IV. 
RunDown 68 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Castaways 76 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Attack  on  the  Vdlage 93 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Fight  with  the  Prahus 105 

CHAPTER  Vin. 
The  Torpedo 123 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Adyance  into  Afghanistan 142 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Peiwar  Khotal 160 


Vi  OONTBNTS. 

CHAPTER  3a  P^« 

A  Prisoner 178 

CHAPTER  Xa 
The  Advance  Up  the  Khyber 105 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
The  Massacre  atCabul 20& 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Advance  Upon  Cabul 228 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Fighting  Round  Cabul 247 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Fight  in  the  Pass 267 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
At  Candahar 286 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
On  the  Helmund 805 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Battle  of  Maiwand 818 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Candahar 841 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Battle  of  Candahar 860 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
At  Home  at  Last 880 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME : 

A    TALE    OF    THE    AFGHAN    WAR 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE     LOST     CHILD. 

"  My  poor  pets !"  a  lady  exclaimed  sorrowfully  ; 
"  it  is  too  bad.  They  all  knew  me  so  well,  and  ran 
to  meet  me  when  they  saw  me  coming,  and  seemed 
really  pleased  to  see  me  even  when  I  had  no  food 
to  give  them." 

"  Which  was  not  often,  my  dear,"  Captain  Ripon, 
her  husband,  said.  "  However,  it  is,  as  you  say, 
too  bad,  and  I  will  bring  the  fellow  to  justice  if  I 
can.  There  are  twelve  prize  fowls  worth  a  couple 
of  guineas  apiece,  not  to  mention  the  fact  of  their 
being  pets  of  yours,  stolen,  probably  by  tramps, 
who  will  eat  them,  and  for  whom  the  commonest 
barn-door  chickens  would  have  done  as  well.  There 
are  marks  of  blood  in  two  or  three  places,  so  they 
have  evidently  been  killed  for  food.    The  house 


2  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMS, 

was  locked  up  last  night  all  right,  for  you  see  they 
got  in  by  breaking  in  a  panel  of  the  door.  Kobson, 
run  down  to  the  village  at  once,  and  tell  the  police- 
man to  come  up  here,  and  ask  if  any  gypsies  or 
tramps  have  been  seen  in  the  neighborhood." 

The  village  lay  at  the  gate  of  Captain  Ripon's 
park,  and  the  gardener  soon  returned  with  the 
policeman. 

"  I've  heard  say  there  are  some  gypsies  camped 
on  ]^etherwood  Common,  four  miles  away,"  that 
functionary  said  in  answer  to  Captain  Ripon. 

"  Put  the  gray  mare  in  the  dog-cart,  Sam ;  we 
will  drive  over  at  once  ;  they  will  hardly  expect  us 
so  soon.  We  will  pick  up  another  policeman  at 
Nether  wood ;  they  may  show  fight  if  we  are  not  in 
strength." 

Five  minutes  later  Captain  Ripon  was  traveling 
along  the  road  at  the  rate  of  twelve  miles  an  hour, 
with  Sam  by  his  side,  and  the  policeman  sitting  be- 
hind. At  Netherwood  they  took  up  another  police- 
man, and  a  few  minutes  later  drove  up  to  the  gypsy 
encampment. 

There  was  a  slight  stir  when  they  were  seen  ap- 
proaching, and  then  the  gypsies  went  on  with  their 
usual  work,  the  women  weaving  baskets  from  osiers, 
the  men  cutting  up  gorse  into  skewers.  There 
were  four  low  tents,  and  a  wagon  stood  near,  a  bony 
horse  grazing  on  the  common. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  3 

"  Now,"  Captain  Ripon  said,  "  I  am  a  magistrate, 
and  I  dare  say  you  know  what  I  have  come  for. 
My  fowl-house  has  been  broken  open,  and  some 
valuable  fowls  stolen.  Now,  policeman,  look  about 
and  see  if  you  can  find  any  traces  of  them." 

The  gypsies  rose  to  their  feet  with  angry  ges- 
tures. 

"  Why  do  you  come  to  us  ?"  one  of  the  men  said. 
"  "When  a  fowl  is  stolen  you  always  suspect  us,  as  if 
there  were  no  other  thieves  in  the  world." 

"  There  are  plenty  of  other  thieves,  my  friend, 
and  we  shall  not  interfere  with  you  if  we  find  noth- 
ing suspicious." 

"  There  have  been  some  fowls  plucked  here,"  one 
of  the  policemen  said  ;  "  here  is  a  little  feather  " — 
and  he  showed  one  of  only  half  an  inch  in  length — 
"  and  there  is  another  on  that  woman's  hair.  They 
have  cleaned  them  up  nicely  enough,  but  it  ain't 
easy  to  pick  up  every  feather.  I'll  be  bound  we 
find  a  fowl  in  the  pot." 

Two  of  the  gypsies  leaped  forward,  stick  in  hand  ; 
but  the  oldest  man  present  said  a  word  or  two  to 
them  in  their  own  dialect. 

"  You  may  look  in  the  pot,"  he  said,  turning  to 
Captain  Ripon,  "  and  maybe  you  will  find  a  fowl 
there  with  other  things  ;  we  bought 'em  at  the  mar- 
ket at  Hunston  yesterday." 


4  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  policeman  lifted  the  lid  off  the  great  pot 
which  was  hanging  over  the  fire,  and  stirred  up  the 
contents  with  a  stick. 

"  There's  rabbits  here,  two  or  three  of  them,  I 
should  say,  and  a  fowl,  perhaps  two,  but  they  are 
cut  up.^' 

"  I  cannot  swear  to  that,"  Captain  Ripon  said, 
examining  the  portions  of  fowl,  "  though  the  plump- 
ness of  the  breasts  and  the  size  show  that  they  are 
not  ordinary  fowls/'  He  looked  round  again  at  the 
tents.  "  But  I  can  pretty  well  swear  to  this," 
he  said  as  he  stooped  and  picked  up  a  feather 
Avhich  lay  half-concealed  between  the  edge  of  one 
of  the  tents  and  the  grass.  "  This  is  a  breast- 
feather  of  a  Spangled  Dorking.  "  These  are  not 
birds  which  would  be  sold  for  eating  in  Hunston 
market,  and  it  will  be  for  these  men  to  show  where 
they  got  it  from." 

A  smothered  oath  broke  from  one  or  two  of  the 
men.  The  elder  signed  to  them  to  be  quiet.  That's 
not  proof,"  he  said  insolently.  "  You  can't  convict 
five  men  because  the  feather  of  a  fowl  which  you 
cannot  swear  to  is  found  in  their  camp." 

"  No,"  Captain  Ripon  said  quietl3^  "  I  do  not 
want  to  convict  any  one  but  the  thief ;  but  the 
proof  is  sufficient  for  taking  you  in  custody,  and  we 
shall  find  out  which  was  the  guilty  man  afterward. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  5 

Xow,  lads,  it  will  be  worse  for  you  if  you  make 
trouble.  Constables,  take  them  up  to  Mr.  Bailey  ; 
he  lives  half  a  mile  away.  Fortunately,  we  have 
means  of  proving  which  is  the  fellow  concerned. 
Now,  Sam,  you  and  I  will  go  up  with  the  Nether- 
wood  constable  to  Mr.  Bailey  ;  and  do  you,"  he  said 
to  the  other  policeman,  "  keep  a  sharp  watch  over 
these  women.  You  say  you  can  find  nothing  in  the 
tents,  but  it  is  likely  the  other  fowls  are  hid  not  far 
off,  and  I  will  put  all  the  boys  of  the  village  to 
search  when  1  come  back." 

The  gypsies,  with  sullen  faces,  accompanied  Cap- 
tain Ripon  and  the  policeman  to  the  magistrate's. 

"  Is  that  feather  the  only  proof  you  have,  Ripon  V 
Mr.  Bailey  asked  when  he  had  given  his  evidence. 
"  I  do  not  think  that  it  will  be  enough  to  convict  if 
unsupported  ;  besides,  you  cannot  bring  it  home  to 
any  one  of  them.  But  it  is  sufficient  for  me  to 
have  them  locked  up  for  twenty-four  hours,  and,  in 
the  mean  time,  you  may  find  the  other  fowls." 

"But  I  have  means  of  identification,"  Captain 
Ripon  said.  "  There  is  a  foot-mark  in  some  earth 
at  the  fowl-house  door.  It  is  made  by  a  boot  which 
has  got  hob-nails  and  a  horseshoe  heel,  and  a  piece 
of  that  heel  has  been  broken  off.  Kow,  which  of 
these  men  has  got  such  a  boot  on  ?  Whichever  has 
he  is  the  man."  There  was  a  sudden  movement 
among  the  accused. 


6  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  It's  of  no  use,"  one  of  them  said  when  the  po- 
liceman approached  to  examine  their  boots.  "  I'm 
the  man  ;  I'll  admit  it.  I  can't  get  over  the  boot ;" 
and  he  held  up  his  right  foot. 

"  That  is  the  boot,  sir,"  the  constable  exclaimed. 
"  I  can  swear  that  it  will  fit  the  impression  exactly." 

"  Yery  well,"  the  magistrate  said.  "  Constable, 
take  that  man  to  the  lock-up,  and  bring  him  before 
the  bench  to-morrow  for  final  committal  for  trial. 
There  is  no  evidence  against  the  other  four.  They 
can  go." 

With  surly,  threatening  faces  the  men  left  the 
room,  while  the  constable  placed  handcuffs  on  the 
prisoner. 

"  Constable,"  Mr.  Bailey  said,  ''  you  had  better 
not  put  this  man  in  the  village  lock-up.  The  place 
is  of  no  great  strength,  and  his  comrades  would  as 
likely  as  not  get  him  out  to-night.  Put  him  in  my 
dog-cart ;  my  groom  shall  drive  you  over  to  Hun- 
ston." 

Captain  Kipon  returned  with  his  groom  to  Neth- 
erwood,  and  set  all  the  children  searching  the  gorse, 
copses,  and  hedges  near  the  common  by  the  promise 
of  ten  shillings  reward  if  they  found  the  missing 
fowls. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  gypsies  struck  their  tents, 
loaded  the  van,  and  went  off. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME.  7 

Late  that  afternoon  the  ten  missing  fowls  were 
discovered  in  a  small  copse  by  the  wayside,  half  a 
mile  from  the  common  on  the  road  to  Captain  Ri- 
pon's  park. 

"I  cannot  bring  your  fowls  back  to  life,  Emma," 
that  gentleman  said  when  he  returned  home,  "  but 
I  have  got  the  thief.  It  was  one  of  the  gypsies 
on  Netherwood  Common.  "We  found  two  of 
the  fowls  in  their  pot.  No  doubt  they  thought 
that  they  would  have  plenty  of  time  to  get  their 
dinner  before  any  one  came,  even  if  suspicion  fell 
on  them  ;  and  they  have  hidden  the  rest  away  some- 
where, but  I  expect  that  we  shall  find  them.  They 
had  burned  all  the  feathers,  as  they  thought ;  but  I 
found  a  breast-feather  of  a  Spangled  Dorking,  and 
that  was  enough  for  me  to  give  them  in  custody. 
Then,  when  it  came  to  the  question  of  boots,  the 
thief  found  it  no  good  to  deny  it  any  longer." 

That  evening  Captain  Ripon  was  told  that  a 
woman  wished  to  speak  to  him,  and  on  going  out 
into  the  hall  he  saw  a  gypsy  of  some  thirty  years  of 
age. 

"  I  have  come,  sir,  to  beg  you  not  to  appear 
against  my  husband." 

"  But,  my  good  woman,  I  see  no  reason  why  I 
should  not  do  so.  If  he  had  only  stolen  a  couple  of 
common  fowls  for  a  sick  wife  or  child  I  might  have 


8  FOR  NA  ME  A  ND  FA  ME. 

been  inclined  to  overlook  it,  for  I  am  not  fond  of 
sending  men  to  prison  ;  but  to  steal  a  dozen  valu- 
able fowls  for  the  pot  is  a  little  too  much.  Besides, 
the  matter  has  gone  too  far  now  for  me  to  retract, 
even  if  I  wished  to,  which  I  certainly  do  not." 

"  He  is  a  good  husband,  sir." 

"He  may  be,"  Captain  Ripon  said,  "  though  that 
black  eye  you  have  got  does  not  speak  in  his  favor. 
But  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  matters  must 
take  their  course." 

The  woman  changed  her  tone. 

"  I  have  asked  you  fairly,  sir ;  and  it  will  be  bet- 
ter for  you  if  you  don't  prosecute  Reuben." 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  my  good  woman  I  Don't  let  me 
have  any  threats,  or  it  will  be  worse  for  you." 

"  I  tell  you,"  the  woman  exclaimed  fiercely,  "  it 
will  be  the  worse  for  you  if  you  appear  against  ray 
Reuben." 

"  There,  go  out,"  Captain  Ripon  said,  opening 
the  front  door  of  the  hall.  "  As  if  I  cared  for  your 
ridiculous  threats!  Your  husband  will  get  what 
he  deserves — five  years,  if  1  am  not  mistaken." 

"  You  will  repent  this,"  the  gypsy  said  as  she 
passed  out. 

Captain  Ripon  closed  the  door  after  her  without 
a  word. 

"  Well,  who  was  it  ?"  his  wife,  inquired  when  he 
returned  to  the  drawing-room. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  9 

"  An  insolent  gypsy  woman,  wife  of  the  man  who 
stole  the  fowls.  She  had  the  impudence  to  threaten 
me  if  I  appeared  against  him." 

"  Oh,  Robert !"  the  young  wife  exclaimed  appre- 
hensively, "  what  could  she  do  ?  Perhaps  you  had 
better  not  appear." 

"Konsense,  my  dear!"  her  husband  laughed. 
"  Not  appear  because  an  impudent  gypsy  woman 
has  threatened  me  ?  A  nice  magistrate  I  should 
be!  Why,  half  the  fellows  who  are  committed 
swear  that  they  will  pay  off  the  magistrate  some 
day,  but  nothing  ever  comes  of  it.  Here  we  have 
been  married  six  months,  and  you  are  wanting  me 
to  neglect  my  duty,  especially  when  it  is  your  pet 
fowls  which  have  been  stolen.  "Why,  at  the  worst, 
ray  dear,"  he  went  on,  seeing  that  his  wife  still 
looked  pale,  "  they  could  burn  down  a  rick  or  two 
on  a  windy  night  in  winter ;  and  to  satisfy  you  I 
will  have  an  extra  sharp  lookout  kept  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  have  a  watch-dog  chained  up  near  them. 
Oome,  my  love,  it  is  not  worth  giving  a  second 
thought  about,  and  I  shall  not  tell  you  about  my 
work  on  the  bench  if  you  are  going  to  take  matters 
to  heart  like  this." 

The  winter  came  and  went,  and  the  ricks  were 
untouched,  and  Captain  Ripon  forgot  all  about  the 
gypsy's   threats.     At  the  assizes  a  previous  convic- 


10  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

tion  was  proved  against  her  husband,  and  he  got  five 
years'  penal  servitude,  and  after  the  trial  was  over 
the  matter  passed  out  of  the  minds. of  both  husband 
and  wife.  The}^  had  indeed  other  matters  to  think 
about,  for  soon  after  Christmas  a  baby  boy  was 
born  and  monopolized  the  greater  portion  of  his 
mother's  thoughts.  When  in  due  time  he  was  taken 
out  for  walks  the  old  women  of  the  village,  perhaps 
with  an  eye  to  presents  from  the  park,  were 
unanimous  in  declaring  that  he  was  the  finest  boy 
ever  seen,  and  the  image  both  of  his  father  and 
mother.  He  certainly  was  a  fine  baby,  and  his  mother 
lamented  sorely  over  the  fact  that  he  had  a  dark 
blood-mark  about  the  size  of  a  threepenny  piece 
upon  his  shoulder.  Her  husband,  however,  con- 
soled her  by  pointing  out  that,  as  it  was  a  boy,  tiie 
mark  did  not  matter  in  the  slightest,  v/hereas  had 
it  been  a  girl,  the  mark  would  have  been  a  disfigure- 
ment when  she  attained  to  the  dignified  age  at 
which  low  dresses  are  worn. 

"Yes,  of  course,  that  would  have  been  dreadful, 
Robert ;  still,  you  know,  it  is  a  pity." 

"1  really  cannot  see  that  it  is  even  a  pity,  little 
Avoman ;  and  it  would  have  made  no  great  differ- 
ence if  he  had  been  spotted  all  over  like  a  leopard, 
so  that  his  face  and  arms  were  free  ;  the  only  draw- 
back  would  have  been  he  would   have  got  some 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  \\ 

nickname  or  other,  such  as  *  the  Leoparc!!,'  or 
*  Spotty,'  or  something  of  that  sort  when  he  went 
to  bathe  with  his  school-fellows.  But  this  little  spot 
does  not  matter  in  the  slightest.  Some  day  or 
other  Tom  will  laugh  when  I  tell  him  what  a  fuss 
you  made  over  it." 

Mrs.  Ripon  was  silenced,  but  although  she  said 
nothing  more  about  it,  she  was  grieved  in  her 
heart  at  this  little  blemish  on  her  boy,  and  lamented 
that  it  would  spoil  his  appearance  when  he  began 
to  run  about  in  little  short  frocks,  and  she  deter- 
mined at  once  that  he  should  wear  long  curls  until 
he  got  into  jackets. 

Summer,  autumn,  and  winter  came  and  passed. 
In  the  spring  Tom  Ripon  was  toddling  about,  but 
he  had  not  yet  begun  to  talk,  although  his  mother 
declared  that  certain  incoherent  sounds  which  he 
made  were  quite  plain  and  distinct  words ;  but  her 
husband,  while  willing  to  allow  that  they  might  be 
perfectly  intelligible  to  her,  insisted  that  to  the 
male  ear  they  in  no  way  resembled  words. 

"  But  he  ought  to  begin  to  talk,  Robert,"  his 
wife  urged.  "  He  is  sixteen  months  old  now,  and 
can  run  about  quite  well.  He  really  ought  to  be 
gin  to  talk." 

"  He  will  talk  before  long,"  her  husband  said 
carelessly.     "  Many  children  do  not  talk  till  they 


12  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

are  eighteen  months  old,  some  not  till  they  are  two 
years.     Besides,  you  say  he  does  begin  already." 

"  Yes,  Robert,  but  not  quite  plainly." 

"  !N"o,  indeed,  not  plainly  at  all,"  her  husband 
laughed.  "  Don't  trouble,  my  dear,  he  will  talk 
soon  enough,  and  if  he  only  talks  as  loud  as  he 
roars  sometimes,  you  will  regret  the  hurry  you  have 
been  in  about  it." 

"  Oh,  Robert,  how  can  you  talk  so  ?  1  am  sure 
he  does  not  cr}'^  more  than  other  children.  Nurse 
says  he  is  the  best  child  she  ever  knew." 

"  Of  course  she  does,  my  dear ;  nurses  always  do. 
But  I  don't  say  he  roars  more  than  other  children. 
I  onh'^  say  he  roars,  and  that  loudly  ;  so  you  need 
not  be  afraid  of  there  being  anything  the  matter 
with  his  tongue  or  his  lungs.  What  fidgets  you 
young  mothers  are,  to  be  sure !" 

"  And  what  heartless  things  you  young  fathers 
are,  to  be  sure !"  his  wife  retorted,  laughing.  "  Men 
don't  deserve  to  have  children  ;  they  do  not  appre- 
ciate them  one  bit." 

"  We  appreciate  them  in  our  way,  little  woman, 
but  it  is  not  a  fussy  way.  We  are  content  with 
them  as  they  are,  and  are  not  in  any  hurry  for  them 
to  run,  or  to  walk,  or  to  cut  their  first  teeth.  Tom 
is  a  fine  litt.e  chap,  and  I  am  very  fond  of  him  in 
his  way,  principally,  perhaps,  because  he  is  your 
Tom  ;  but  I  ca.mot  see  that  he  is  a  prodigy." 


FOR  NA MR  AND  FA  MF.  13 

J^  He  is  a  prodigy,"  Mrs.  Ripon  said,  with  a  little 
toss  of  her  head,  "  and  I  shall  go  up  to  the  nursery 
to  admire  him."  So  saying  she  walked  off  with 
dignity,  and  Captain  Ripon  went  out  to  look  at  his 
horses,  and  thought  to  himself  what  a  \vonderful 
dispensation  of  providence  it  was  that  mothers  were 
so  fond  of  their  babies. 

"  I  don't  know  what  the  poor  little  beggars  would 
do,"  he  muttered,  "  if  they  had  only  their  fathers  to 
look  after  them  ;  but  I  suppose  we  should  take  to 
it,  just  as  the  old  goose  in  the  yard  has  taken  to 
that  brood  of  chickens  whose  mother  was  carried 
off  by  the  fox.  By  the  way,  I  must  order  some 
wire-netting ;  I  forgot  to  write  for  it  yesterday." 

Another  two  months.  It  was  June ;  and  now 
even  Captain  Ripon  allowed  that  Tom  could  say 
"  Pa  "  and  "  Ma  "  with  tolerable  distinctness,  but  as 
yet  he  had  got  no  farther.  He  could  now  run  about 
sturdily  ;  and  as  the  season  was  warm  and ,  bright, 
and  Mrs.  Ripon  believed  fn  fresh  air,  the  child  spent 
a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  in  the  garden. 
One  day  his  mother  was  out  with  him,  and  he  had 
been  running  about  for  some  time.  Mrs.  Ripon  was 
picking  flowers,  for  she  had  a  dinner-party  that 
evening,  and  she  enjoyed  getting  her  flowers  and 
arranging  her  vases  herself.  Presently  she  looked 
round,  but  Tom  was  missing.     There  were   many 


14  FOR  NAME  AND  FAHE. 

clumps  of  ornamental  shrubs  on  the  lawn,  and  Mrs. 
Eipon  thought  nothing  of  his  disappearance. 

''  Tom,"  she  called,  "  come  to  mamma,  she  wants 
you,"  and  went  on  with  her  work. 

A  minute  or  two  passed. 

"  Where  is  that  little  pickle  ?"  she  said.  "  Hid- 
ing, I  suppose;"  and  she  went  off  in  search,  ISTo- 
where  was  Tom  to  be  seen.  She  called  loudly,  and 
searched  in  the  bushes. 

"  He  must  have  gone  up  to  the  house.  Oh,  here 
comes  nurse.  Nurse,  have  you  seen  Master  Tom  ? 
he  has  just  run  awa^V'  she  called. 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  have  seen  nothing  of  him." 

"  He  must  be  about  the  garden  then,  somewhere. 
Look  about,  nurse  ;  where  can  the  child  have  hid- 
den itself  ?" 

Nurse  and  mother  ran  about,  calling  loudly  the 

name   of  the    missing  child.     Five    minutes  later 

Mrs.  Ripon  ran  into  the  study,  where  her  husband 

» 
was  going  through  his  farm  accounts. 

"  Oh,  Robert,"  she  said,  "  I  can't  find  Tom !"  and 
she  burst  into  tears. 

'"  Not  find  Tom?"  her  husband  said,  rising  in  sur- 
prise.    "  "Why,  how  long  have  you  missed  him  ?" 

"  He  was  out  in  the  garden  with  me  ;  I  was  pick- 
ing flowers  for  the  dinner-table,  and  when  I  looked 
round  he  was  gone.     Nurse  and  I  have  been  look- 


FOR  NA  MB  AND  FA  ME .  %$ 

ing  everywhere,  and  calling,  but  we  cannot  find 
him." 

"  Oh,  he  is  all  right,"  Captain  Eipon  said  cheer- 
fully ;  "  do  not  alarm  yourself,  little  woman ;  he 
must  have  wandered  into  the  shrubbery;  we  shall 
hear  him  howling  directly.  But  I  will  come  and 
look  for  him." 

No  better  success  attended  Captain  Ripon's  search 
than  that  which  his  wife  had  met  with.  He  looked 
anxious  now.  The  gardeners  and  servants  were 
called,  and  soon  every  place  in  the  garden  was 
ransacked. 

"  He  must  have  got  through  the  gate  somehow 
into  the  park,"  Captain  Ripon  said,  hurrying  in  that 
direction.  "  He  certainly  is  not  in  the  garden  or  in 
any  of  the  hothouses-" 

Some  of  the  men  had  already  gone  in  that  direc- 
tion. Presently  Captain  Ripon  met  one  running 
back. 

"  I  have  been  down  to  the  gate,  sir,  and  can  see 
nothing  of  Master  Tom  ;  but  in  the  middle  of  the 
drive,  just  by  the  clump  of  laurels  by  the  gate,  this 
boot  was  lying,  just  as  if  it  had  been  put  there  on 
purpose  to  be  seen." 

"Nonsense!"  Captain  Ripon  said.  "What  can 
that  have  to  do  with  it?"  Nevertheless  he  took  the 
boot  and  looked  at  it.     It  was  a  roughly  made 


1  e  FOR  NAME  A  KD  FAME. 

heavy  boot,  such  as  would  be  worn  by  a  laboring 
man.  He  was  about  to  throw  it  carelessly  aside, 
and  to  proceed  on  his  search,  when  he  happened  tc 
turn  it  over.  Then  he  started  as  if  struck,  "  Good 
Heaven!"  he  exclaimed,  "it  is  the  gypsy's."  Yes, 
he  remembered  it  now.  The  man  had  pleaded  not 
guilty  when  brought  up  at  the  assizes,  and  the  boot 
had  been  produced  as  evidence.  He  remembered  it 
particularly  because,  after  the  man  was  sentenced, 
his  wife  had  provoked  a  smile  by  asking  that  the 
boots  might  be  given  up  to  her  in  exchange  for  a 
better  pair  for  her  husband  to  put  on  when  dis- 
charged from  prison.  Yes,  it  was  clear.  The 
gypsy  woman  had  kept  her  word,  and  had  taken 
her  revenge.  She  had  stolen  the  child,  and  had 
placed  the  boot  where  it  would  attract  attention,  in 
order  that  the  parents  might  know  the  hand  that 
struck  them.  Instantly  Captain  Ripon  ran  to  the 
stable,  ordered  the  groom  to  mount  at  once,  and 
scour  every  road  and  lane,  w^hile  he  himself  rode  off 
to  Hunston  to  give  notice  to  the  police,  and  offer  a 
large  reward  for  the  child's  recovery. 

He  charged  the  man  who  had  brought  the  boot 
to  carry  it  away,  and  put  it  in  a  place  of  safety  till 
it  was  required  ;  and  on  no  account  to  mention  to  a 
soul  where  he  put  it. 

Before  riding  off,  he  ran  in  to  his  wife,  who  was 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  17 

half-wild  with  grief,  to  tell  her  that  he  was  going  to 
search  outside  the  park,  and  that  she  must  keep  up 
her  spirits,  for  no  doubt  Tom  would  turn  up  all 
right  in  no  time. 

He  admitted  to  himself,  however,  as  he  gal- 
loped away,  that  he  was  not  altogether  sure  that 
Tom  would  be  so  speedily  recovered.  The  woman 
would  never  have  dared  to  place  the  boot  on  the 
road,  and  so  give  a  clew  against  herself,  unless  she 
felt  very  confident  that  she  could  get  away  or  con- 
ceal herself. 

"  She  has  probably  some  hiding-place  close  by 
the  park,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  where  she  will 
lie  hid  till  night,  and  will  then  make  across  coun- 
try." 

He  paused  at  the  village,  and  set  the  whole  popu- 
lation at  work  by  telling  them  that  his  child  was 
missing,  and  had,  he  believed,  been  carried  off  by  a 
gypsy  TN'^oman ;  and  that  he  would  give  £50  to  any- 
one who  would  find  him.  She  could  not  be  far  off, 
as  it  was  only  about  half  an  hour  since  the  child 
had  been  missed. 

Then  he  galloped  to  Hunston,  set  the  police  at 
work ;  and,  going  to  a  printer,  told  him  instantly 
to  set  up  and  strike  off  placards  offering  £500  re- 
ward for  the  recovery  of  the  child.  This  was  to  be 
done  in  an  hour  or  two,  and  then  taken  to  the 


18  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

police  station  for  distribution  throughout  the  coun- 
try round. 

Having  now  done  all  in  his  power,  Captain  Kipon 
rode  back  as  rapidly  as  he  had  come,  in  hopes  that 
the  child  might  already  have  been  found. 

No  news  had,  however,  been  obtained  of  him,  nor 
had  any  one  seen  any  strange  woman  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

On  reaching  the  house  he  found  his  wife  pros- 
trated with  grief ;  and,  in  answer  to  her  questions, 
he  thought  it  better  to  tell  her  about  the  discovery 
of  the  boot. 

"  We  may  be  some  little  time  before  we  find  the 
boy,"  he  said,  "  but  we  shall  find  him  sooner  or 
later.  I  have  got  placards  out  already,  offering 
£500  reward :  and  this  evening  I  will  send  adver- 
tisements to  all  the  papers  in  this  and  the  neighbor- 
ing counties.  Do  not  fret,  darling.  The  woman 
has  done  it  out  of  spite,  no  doubt ;  but  she  will  not 
risk  putting  her  neck  in  a  noose  by  harming  the 
child.  It  is  a  terrible  grief,  but  it  will  only  be  for  a 
time ;  we  are  sure  to  find  him  before  long." 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  Mrs.  Ripon  had  some- 
what recovered  her  composure,  she  said  to  her  hus- 
band : 

"  How  strange  are  God's  ways,  Robert ;  how 
wicked  and  wrong  in  us  to  grumble !    I  was  foolish 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  Id 

enough  to  fret  over  that  mark  on  the  darling's 
neck,  and  now  the  thought  of  it  is  my  greatest  com- 
fort. If  it  should  be  God's  will  that  months  or 
years  shall  'pass  over  before  we  find  him,  there  is  a 
sign  by  which  we  shall  always  know  him.  IS^o 
other  child  can  be  palmed  off  upon  us  as  our  own  ; 
when  we  find  Tom  we  shall  know  him,  however 
changed  he  may  be  !' 

"  Yes,  dear,"  her  husband  said,  "  God  is  very 
good,  and  this  trial  may  be  sent  us  for  the  best. 
As  you  say,  we  can  take  comfort  now  from  what 
we  were  disposed  to  think  at  the  time  a  little  cross. 
After  that,  dear,  we  may  surely  trust  in  God.  That 
mark  was  placed  there  that  we  might  know  our  boy 
again ;  and  were  it  not  decreed  that  we  should 
again  see  him,  that  mark  would  have  been  useless." 

The  thought,  for  a  time,  greatly  cheered  Mrs. 
Ripon ;  but  gradually  the  hope  that  she  should  ever 
see  her  boy  again  faded  away,  and  Captain  Eipon 
became  much  alarmed  at  the  manifest  change  in  her 
health. 

In  spite  of  all  Captain  Ripon  could  do,  no  news 
was  obtained  of  the  gypsy  or  Tom.  For  weeks  he 
rode  about  the  country  asking  questions  in  every 
village,  or  hurried  awa3'  to  distant  parts  of  England, 
where  the  police  thought  they  had  a  clew. 

It  was  all  in  vain.     Every  gypsy  encampment  in 


20  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  kingdom  was  searched,  but  without  avail ;  and 
even  the  police,  sharp-eyed  as  they  are,  could  not 
guess  that  the  decent-looking  Irishwoman,  speaking 
— when  she  did  speak,  which  was  seldom,  for  she  was 
a  taciturn  woman — with  a  strong  brogue,  working  in 
a  laundry  in  a  small  street  in  the  Potteries,  Notting 
Hill,  was  the  gypsy  they  were  looking  for  ;  or  that 
the  little  boy,  whose  father  she  said  was  at  sea,  was 
the  child  for  whose  discovery  a  thousand  pounds 
was  continually  advertised. 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  2 1 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  FOUNDLING. 

It  was  a  bitterly  cold  night  in  January.  The 
wind  was  roaring  across  the  flats  and  fens  of  Cam- 
bridgeshire, driving  tiny  flakes  of  snow  before  it. 
But  few  people  had  been  about  all  day,  and  those 
whose  business  compelled  them  to  face  the  weather 
had  hurried  along  muffled  up  to  the  chin.  It  was 
ten  at  night,  and  the  porter  and  his  wife  at  the 
workhouse  at  Ely  had  just  gone  to  bed,  when  the 
woman  exclaimed,  "  Sam,  I  hear  a  child  crying." 

"  Oh,  nonsense !"  the  man  replied,  drawing  the 
bedclothes  higher  over  his  head ;  "  it  is  the  wind ; 
it's  been  whisthng  all  day/' 

The  woman  was  silent  but  not  convinced. 
Presently  she  sat  up  in  bed.  "  I  tell  you,  Sam,  it's 
a  child  ;  don't  you  hear  it,  man  ?  It's  a  child  out- 
side the  gate.  On  such  a  night  as  this  too.  Get 
up,  man,  and  see ;  if  you  won't  I  will  go  myself." 

"  Lie  still,  woman,  it's  all  thy  fancy." 

"  You  are  a  fool,  Sam  Dickson,"  his  wife  said 
sharply.     "  Bo  you  think  I  have  lived  to  the  age  of 


22  FOR  N AME  AND  FAME. 

forty-five,  and  don't  know  a  child's  cry  when  I 
hear  it?    Now  are  you  going  to  get  up,  or  am  I ?" 

With  much  grumbling  the  porter  turned  out  of 
bed,  slipped  on  a  pair  of  trousers  and  a  greatcoat, 
took  down  the  key  from  the  wall,  lighted  a  lantern, 
and  went  out.  He  opened  the  gate  and  looked  out. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  seen,  and  he  was  about  to 
close  the  gate  again  with  a  curse  on  his  wife's  fan- 
cies, when  a  fresh  cry  broke  on  his  ears.  He  hur- 
ried out  now,  and,  directed  by  the  voice,  found 
lying  near  the  gate  a  child  wrapped  in  a  dark-col- 
ored shawl,  which  had  prevented  him  from  seeing 
it  at  his  first  glance.  There  was  no  one  else  in 
sight.  The  man  lifted  his  lantern  above  his  head 
and  gave  a  shout.  There  was  no  answer.  Then  he 
raised  the  child  and  carried  it  in,  locked  the  door, 
and  entered  the  lodge. 

"  You  are  right  for  once,"  he  said.  "  Here  is  a 
child,  and  a  pretty  heavy  one  too.  It  has  been  de- 
serted by  some  one ;  and  a  heartless  creature  she 
must  have  been,  for  in  another  half-hour  it  would 
have  been  frozen  to  death,  if  you  had  not  heard  it." 

The  woman  was  out  of  bed  now.  "  It  is  a  boy," 
she  said,  opening  the  shawl',  "  about  two  years  old, 
I  should  say.  Don't  cry,  my  boy — don't  cr3^  It's 
half-frozen,  Sara,  The  best  thing  will  be  to  put  it 
into  our  bed,  that  has  just  got  warm.     I  will  warm 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  23 

it  up  a  little  milk.  It's  no  use  taking  it  into  the 
ward  to-night." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  child  was  sound  asleep,  the 
porter,  who  was  a  good-natured  man,  having  gone 
over  to  sleep  in  an  empty  bed  in  the  house,  leaving 
the  child  to  share  his  wife's  bed. 

In  the  morning  the  foundling  opened  its  eyes  and 
looked  round.  Seeing  everything  strange  it  began 
to  cry. 

"  Don't  cry,  dear,"  the  woman  said.  "  I  will  get 
you  some  nice  breakfast  directly." 

The  kindness  of  tone  at  once  pacified  the  child. 
It  looked  round. 

"  Where's  mother?"  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  know,  dear,  we  shall  find  her  soon 
enough,  no  doubt ;  don't  you  fret." 

The  child  did  not  seem  inclined  to  fret ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  brightened  up  visibly. 

"  Will  she  beat  Billy  when  she  comes  back  ?" 

"  No,  my  dear,  she  shan't  beat  you.  Does  she 
often  beat  you  ?" 

The  child  nodded  its  head  several  times  emphat 
ically. 

"  Then  she's  a  bad  lot,"  the  woman  said  indig- 
nantly. 

The  child  ate  its  breakfast  contentedly,  and  was 
then  carried  by  the  porter's  wife  to  the  master,  who 
had  already  heard  the  circumstance  of  its  entry. 


24  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  It's  of  no  use  asking  such  a  baby  whether  it  has 
any  name,"  he  said ;  "  of  course  it  would  not  know. 
It  had  better  go  into  the  infants'  ward  ;  the  guard- 
ians will  settle  what  its  name  shall  be.  We  will  set 
the  police  at  work  and  try  and  find  out  something 
about  its  mother.  It  is  a  fine-looking  little  chap, 
and  she  must  be  either  a  thoroughly  bad  one,  or 
terribly  pressed,  to  desert  it  like  this.  Most  likely 
it  is  a  tramp,  and  in  that  case  it's  odds  we  shall 
never  hear  further  about  it.  Any  distinguishing 
mark  on  its  clothes  ?" 

"  None  at  all,  sir.  It  is  poorly  dressed,  and 
seems  to  have  been  very  bad  treated ;  its  skin  is 
dirty,  and  its  little  back  is  black  and  blue  with 
bruises  ;  but  it  has  a  blood-mark  on  the  neck,  which 
will  enable  its  mother  to  swear  to  it,  if  it's  fifty 
years  hence  ;  but  I  don't  suppose  we  shall  ever  hear 
of  her  again." 

That  afternoon,  however,  the  news  came  that  the 
body  of  a  tramp  had  been  found  frozen  to  death  in  a 
ditch  near  the  town.  She  had  apparently  lost  her 
way,  and  when  she  had  fallen  in  was  so  numbed  and 
cold  that  she  was  unable  to  rise,  and  so  had  been 
drowned  in  the  shallow  water.  When  the  master 
heard  of  it  he  sent  for  the  porter's  wife. 

"  Mrs.  Dickson,"  he  said,  "  you  had  better  take 
that  child  down  and  let  it  see  the  tramp  they  have 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  25 

found  frozen  to  death.  The  child  is  too  young  to 
be  shocked  at  death,  and  will  suppose  she  is  asleep. 
But  you  will  be  able  to  see  if  he  recognizes  her." 

There  was'no  doubt  as  to  the  recognition.  The 
child  started  in  terror  when  he  saw  the  woman  ly- 
ing in  the  shed  into  which  she  had  been  carried.  It 
checked  its  first  impulse  to  cry  out,  but  struggled 
to  get  further  off.  "  Moder  asleep,"  he  said  in  a 
whisper.     "  If  she  wake  she  beat  Billy." 

That  was  enough.  The  woman  carried  him  back 
to  the  house.  "  She's  his  mother,  sir,  sure  enough," 
she  said  to  the  master,  "  though  how  she  should  be 
puzzles  nje.  She  is  dressed  in  pretty  decent  clothes, 
but  she  is  as  dark  as  a  gypsy,  with  black  hair. 
This  child  is  fair,  with  a  skin  as  white  as  milk,  now 
he  is  washed." 

"  I  dare  say  he  takes  after  his  father,"  the  master, 
who  was  a  practical  man,  said.  "  I  hear  that  there 
is  no  name  on  her  things,  no  paper  or  other  article 
which  would  identify  her  in  her  pockets ;  but  there 
is  £2,  12s.  in  her  purse,  so  she  was  not  absolutely  in 
want.     It  will  pay  the  parish  for  her  funeral." 

An  hour  later  the  guardians  assembled,  and  upon 
hearing  the  circumstances  of  the  newcomer's  admis- 
sion and  the  death  of  the  tramp,  they  decided  that 
the  child  should  be  entered  in  the  books  as  "  "W  il- 
liara  Gale,"  the  name  being  chosen  with  ^  reference 


26  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

to  the  weather  during  which  he  came  into  the 
house ;  and  against  his  name  a  note  was  written  to 
the  effect  that  his  mother,  a  tramp,  name  unknown, 
had,  after  leaving  him  at  the  door  of  the  work- 
house, been  found  frozen  to  death  next  day.  Wil- 
liam Gale  grew  and  throve.  He  was  a  quiet  and 
contented  child  ;  accustomed  to  be  shut  up  all  day 
alone,  while  his  mother  was  out  washing,  the  com- 
panionship of  other  children  in  the  workhouse  was 
a  pleasant  novelty  ;  and  if  the  food  was  not  such  as 
a  dainty  child  would  fancy,  it  was  at  least  as  good 
as  he  had  been  accustomed  to.  The  porter's  wife 
continued  to  be  the  fast  friend  of  the  child  whom 
she  had  saved  from  death.  The  fact  that  she  had 
done  so  gave  her  an  interest  in  it.  Her  own  chil- 
dren were  out  in  service  or  at  work  in  the  fields, 
and  the  child  was  a  pleasure  to  her. 

Scarce  a  day  passed  then  that  she  would  not  go 
across  the  yard  up  to  the  infants'  ward  and  bring 
Billy  down  to  the  lodge,  where  he  would  play  con- 
tentedly by  the  hour,  or  sit  watching  her  and  suck- 
ing at  a  cake  while  she  washed  or  prepared  her 
husband's  dinner. 

Billy  was  seldom  heard  to  cry.  Perhaps  he  had 
wept  all  his  stock  of  tears  away  before  he  entered 
the  house ;  he  had  seldom  fits  of  bad  temper,  and 
was  a  really  lovable  child.    Mrs.  Dickson  never 


FO  R  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  27 

wavered  in  the  opinion  she  had  first  formed,  that 
the  dead  tramp  was  not  Billy's  mother ;  but  as  no 
one  else  agreed  with  her  she  kept  her  thoughts  to 
herself.  The  years  passed  on,  and  William  Gale 
was  now  no  longer  in  the  infants'  ward,  but  took 
his  place  in  the  boys'  school.  Here  he  at  once 
showed  an  intelligence  beyond  that  of  the  other 
boys  of  his  own  age.  The  hours  which  he  had  each 
day  spent  in  the  porter's  lodge  had  not  been  wasted. 
The  affection  of  the  good  woman  had  brightened 
his  life,  and  he  had  none  of  the  dull,  down-cast  look 
so  common  among  children  in  workhouses.  She 
had  encouraged  him  to  talk  and  play,  had  taught 
him  the  alphabet,  and  supplied  him  with  an  occa- 
sional picture-book  with  easy  words ;  indeed  she 
devoted  far  more  time  to  him  than  many  mothers 
in  her  class  of  life  can  give  to  their  children.  The 
guardians,  as  they  went  in  and  out  to  board-meeting, 
would  delight  her  by  remarking : 

"  That  is  really  a  fine  little  fellow,  Mrs.  Dickson  ; 
he  really  does  you  credit.  A  tine  sturdy,  independ- 
ent little  chap." 

The  child  of  course  wore  the  regular  uniform  of 
workhouse  children ;  but  Mrs.  Dickson,  who  was 
handy  with  her  needle,  used  to  cut  and  alter  the 
clothes  to  fit  him,  and  thus  entirely  changed  their 
appearance. 


28  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  He  looks  like  a  gentleman's  child,"  one  of  the 
guardians  said  one  day. 

"  I  believe  he  is  a  gentleman's  child,  sir.  Look  at 
his  white  skin  ;  see  how  upright  he  is,  with  his  head 
far  back  as  if  he  was  somebody ;  he  is  different 
altogether  from  the  run  of  them.  I  always  said  he 
came  of  good  blood,  and  I  shall  say  so  to  ray  dying 
day." 

"  It  may  be  so,  Mrs.  Dickson ;  but  the  woman 
who  left  him  here,  if  I  remember  right,  did  not 
look  as  if  she  had  any  good  blood  in  her." 

"  Not  likely,  sir.  She  never  came  by  him 
honestly,  I  am  sure ;  I  couldn't  have  believed  she 
was  his  mother,  not  if  she  had  sworn  to  it  with  her 
dying  breath." 

Mrs.  Dickson's  belief  was  not  without  influence 
upon  the  boy.  When  he  was  old  enough  to  under- 
stand she  told  him  the  circumstances  of  his  having 
been  found  at  the  workhouse  door,  and  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  woman  who  had  brought  him  there ; 
and  impressed  upon  him  her  own  strong  conviction 
that  this  was  not  his  mother. 

"  I  believe,  Billy,"  she  said  over  and  over  again, 
"  that  your  parents  were  gentlefolk.  Now,  mind, 
it  does  not  make  one  bit  of  difference  to  you,  for  it 
ain't  likely  you  will  ever  hear  of  them.  Still, 
please  God,  you  may  do  so ;  and  it  is  for  you  to 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  29 

bear  it  in  mind,  and  to  act  so  as,  if  you  were  to  meet 
them,  they  need  not  be  ashamed  of  you.  You  have 
got  to  earn  your  living  just  like  all  the  other  bo3^s 
here,  but  you  can  act  right  and  straight  and  honor- 
able. Never  tell  a  lie,  Billy,  not  if  it's  to  save  your- 
self from  being  thrashed  ever  so  much ;  alwa3's 
speak  out  manful  and  straight,  no  matter  what 
comes  of  it.  Don't  never  use  no  bad  words,  work 
hard  at  your  books  and  try  to  improve  yourself. 
Keep  it  always  before  you  that  you  mean  to  be 
a  good  man  and  a  gentleman  some  day ;  and,  mark 
my  words,  you  will  do  it." 

"  You're  spoiling  that  child,"  her  husband  would 
say,  "  filling  bis  head  with  your  ridiculous  notions," 

"  No,  I  am  not  spoiling  him,  Sam  ;  I'm  doing  him 
good.  It  will  help  keep  him  straight,  if  he  thinks 
that  he  is  of  gentle  blood  and  must  not  shame  it. 
Why,  the  matron  said  only  yesterday  she  could  not 
make  him  out,  he  was  so  different  from  other 
boys." 

"  More's  the  pity,"  grumbled  the  porter ;  "  it 
mayn't  do  him  harm  now — I  don't  say  as  it  does ; 
but  when  he  leaves  the  house  he'll  be  above  his 
work,  and  will  be  discontented,  and  never  keep  a 
place." 

"  No,  he  won't,"  his  wife  asserted  stoutly,  al- 
though in  her  heart  she  feared  that  there  was  some 


30  J?Oi?  NAME  AND  FAME. 

risk  of  her  teaching  having  that  effect.  So  far, 
however,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  her  teaching 
had  been  of  great  advantage  to  the  boy,  and  his 
steadiness  and  diligence  soon  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  schoolmaster.  Schoolmasters  are  always 
ready  to  help  pupils  forward  who  promise  to  be  a 
credit  to  them,  and  William  Gale's  teacher  was  no 
exception.  He  was  not  a  learned  man,  very  far 
from  it.  He  had  been  a  grocer  who  had  failed  in 
business,  and  having  no  other  resource  had  accepted 
the  very  small  salary  offered  by  the  guardians  of 
Ely  workhouse,  as  the  only  means  which  presented 
itself  of  keeping  out  of  one  of  the  pauper  wards  of 
that  institution.  However,  he  was  not  a  bad  reader, 
and  wrote  an  excellent  hand.  With  books  of  geog- 
raphy and  history  before  him  he  could  make  no 
blunders  in  his  teaching,  and  although  he  might 
have  been  failing  in  method,  he  was  not  harsh  or 
unkind ;  and  the  boys,  therefore,  learned  as  much 
with  him  as  they  might  have  done  with  a  more 
learned  master  of  a  harsher  disposition.  He  soon 
recognized  not  only  AVilliam's  anxiety  to  learn,  but 
the  fearlessness  and  spirit  with  which  he  was  always 
ready  to  own  a  fault  and  to  bear  its  punishment. 
On  several  occasions  he  brought  the  boy  before  the 
notice  of  the  guardians  when  they  came  round  the 
school ;  and  when  questions  had  to  be  asked  before 


Pott  NAME  AND  P'AMB.  31 

visitors,  William  Gale  was  always  called  up  as  the 
show  boy.  This  prominence  would  have  made  him 
an  object  of  dislike  among  the  other  lads  of  his  own 
age,  had  it  not  been  that  William  was  a  lively 
good-tempered  boy  ;  and  if,  as  sometimes  happened 
on  these  occasions,  a  sixpence  or  shilling  was  slipped 
into  his  hand  by  some  visitor  who  was  taken  by  his 
frank  open  face  and  bright  intelligent  manner,  it 
was  always  shared  among  his  school-fellows.  At 
one.  of  the  examinations,  the  wife  of  a  guardian, 
who  was  present  with  her  husband,  said  on  return- 
ing home : 

"  It  must  be  very  dull  for  those  poor  boys  :  I  will 
pack  up  some  of  the  boys'  books  and  send  them. 
Now  the}'"  have  gone  to  college  they  will  never 
want  them  again,  and  they  would  make  quite  a 
library  for  the  workhouse  boys.  There  must  be 
twenty  or  thirty  of  them  at  least." 

If  ladies  could  but  know  what  brightness  they  can 
infuse  into  the  lives  of  lads  placed  like  these  in  Ely 
workhouse,  by  a  simple  act  of  kindness  of  this  kind, 
there  would  not  be  an  institution  in  the  kingdom 
without  a  well-supplied  library. 

The  gift  infused  a  new  life  into  the  school. 
Hitherto  the  world  outside  had  been  a  sealed  book 
to  the  boys.  They  knew  of  no  world  save  that  in- 
cluded within  the  walls  of  the  house.     Their  geog- 


32  FOR  NAME  AND  PAMS!. 

raphy  told  them  of  other  lands  and  people,  but 
these  were  mere  names  until  now.  Among  the 
books  were  "  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "  Midshipman 
Easy,"  "  Peter  Simple,"  three  or  four  of  Cooper's 
Indian  tales,  Dana's  "  Life  before  the  Mast,"  and 
several  of  Kingston's  and  Ballantyne's  books. 
These  opened  a  wonderland  of  life  and  adventure 
to  the  boys.  The  schoolmaster  used  to  give  them 
out  at  twelve  o'olock,  and  they  were  returned  at 
two  when  school  recommenced ;  and  only  such 
boys  as  obtained  full  marks  for  their  lessons  Avere 
allowed  to  have  them.  In  this  way,  instead  of  the 
"library  "  being  a  cause  of  idleness,  as  some  of  the 
guardians  predicted  when  they  heard  of  its  presen- 
tation, it  was  an  incentive  to  work.  Certainly  its: 
perusal  filled  the  minds  of  most  of  the  boys  with  an 
intense  longing  to  go  to  sea,  but  as  there  is  always 
a  demand  for  apprentices  for  the  Yarmouth  and 
Lowestoft  smacks,  the  guardians  did  not  disapprove 
of  this  bent  being  given  to  their  wishes  ;  indeed,  as 
no  premium  had  to  be  paid  with  apprentices  to 
smack-owners,  while  in  most  trades  a  premium  is 
required,  a  preference  was  given  to  the  sea  by  the 
guardians. 

"W  hen  William  Gale  reached  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  was  brought  before  the  board  to  choose  the 
trade  to  which  he  would  be  apprenticed,  he  at  once 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  33 

said  that  he  would  go  to  sea.  There  were  applica- 
tions from  several  smack-masters  for  apprentices, 
and  he,  with  the  five  other  boys  brought  up  with 
him,  were  all  of  one  opinion  in  the  matter. 

"  Mind,  lads,"  the  chairman  said,  "  the  life  of  an 
apprentice  on  board  a  North  Sea  smack  is  a  hard 
■  one.  You  will  get  a  great  many  more  kicks  than 
half-pence.  It  will  be  no  use  grumbling  when  you- 
have  once  made  your  choice.  It  is  a  rough,  hard 
life,  none  rougher  or  harder.  When  you  have 
served  your  time  it  will  be  open  to  you  either  to 
continue  as  smacksmen  or  to  ship  as  seamen  in  sea- 
going ships.  Sailors  who  hail  from  the  eastern 
fishing  ports  are  always  regarded  as  among  the 
best  of  our  seamen.  Still  it  is  a  rough  life  and  a 
dangerous  one  ;  the  hardest  life  on  shore  is  easy  in 
comparison.  There  is  time  to  change  your  minds 
before  you  sign  ;  when  you  have  done  so  it  will  be 
too  late.     Are  you  all  determined  ?" 

None  of  them  wavered.  Their  signatures  were 
attached  to  the  indentures,  and  they  were  told  that 
the  porter  would  take  them  to  Yarmouth  on  the 
following  day.  William  Gale  obtained  leave  to 
spend  his  last  evening  at  the  porter's  lodge,  and 
there  he  talked  very  seriously  with  Mrs.  Dickson 
over  his  future  prospects. 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  "  from  Dana's  book,  that  the 


U  FOR  I^AME  AiTD  PAMS. 

life  is  a  very  rough  one,  but  that  will  not  matter. 
A  sailor,  when  he  has  been  four  j'^ears  at  sea,  can 
pass  his  examination  as  a  mate,  and  I  mean  to  work 
hard  and  pass  as  soon  as  I  can.  I  don't  care  how 
much  I  am  knocked  about,  that's  nothing ;  there's  a 
good  chance  of  getting  on  in  the  end." 

'•  You  will  meet  a  great  many  bad  boys.  Bill ; 
don't  you  let  them  lead  you  into  their  ways." 

"  Don't  be  afraid  of  that,"  he  answered,  "I  wont 
do  anything  I  should  be  ashamed  of  afterward. 
You  have  taught  me  better." 

"  I  suppose  the  guardians  gave  you  a  Bible  to- 
day ;  they  always  do  when  boys  goes  out." 

Will  nodded. 

"  Be  sure  you  read  it  often,  my  boy.  You  read 
that  and  stick  to  it,  and  you  won't  go  far  wrong. 
You  know  what  the  parson  said  last  Sunday,  '  No 
one  is  strong  in  himself,  but  God  gives  strength." 

"  I  remember,"  Will  said.  "  I  made  up  my  mind 
then  that  Fd  bear  it  in  mind  and  act  upon  it  when 
I  could.  I  think  the  thought  of  God,  and  the 
thought  that  I  may  meet  my  parents,  and  they  must 
not  be  ashamed  of  me,  will  help  me  to  be  honest 
and  firm." 

"  I  hope,  Bill,  you  will  come  sometimes  and  see 
me  when  you  are  ashore." 

"  I  shall  be  sure  to  do  that  when  I  can,"  he  an- 


FOR  NA MIS  AND  FAMR  35 

swered.  "  But,  of  course,  I  shall  have  no  money  at 
first ;  and  it  may  be  a  long  time  before  I  can  pay 
my  railway  fare  here  ;  but  you  may  be  sure  I  will 
come.  Whoever  may  be  my  real  mother,  you  are 
the  only  mother  I  ever  knew,  and  no  mother  could 
have  been  kinder.  When  I  grow  to  be  a  man,  and 
go  to  sea  in  big  ships,  I  will  bring  3rou  all  sorts  of 
pretty  things  from  abroad  ;  and  if  ever  you  should 
want  it,  you  may  be  sure  that  my  wages  will  be 
quite  as  much  yours  as  if  I  had  been  really  your 
son !" 

Sam  Dickson  gave  a  snort.  It  was  very  good  of 
the  boy,  but  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  snub  him 
in  order  to  counteract  what  he  considered  to  be  the 
pernicious  counsels  and  treatment  of  his  wife. 
"  Fine  talk,"  he  said,  "  fine  talk.  We  shall  see." 
"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,  Sam  Dick- 
son," his  wife  said  wrathfuUy.  "  The  boy  means 
what  he  says,  and  I  believe  him.-  If  anything  was 
to  happen  to  you,  and  that  boy  was  growed-up,  I 
believe  he  would  come  forward  to  lend  me  a  help- 
ing hand,  just  as  he  says,  as  if  he  were  my  son. 
The  gals  is  good  gals,  but  gals  in  service  have  plenty 
to  do  with  their  wages,  what  with  dress  and  one 
thing  or  another;  we  must  never  look  for  much 
help  from  them  ;  but  if  Bill  is  doing  well,  and  I 
ever  come  to  want,  I  believe  as  his  heart  would  be 
good  to  help  a  bit-" 


3G  If'OR  NAME  AKD  PAktS. 

"Well,"  the  porter  said  dryly,  "there's  tim6 
enough  to  see  about  it  yet.  I  ain't  dead,  you  ain't 
a  pauper,  and  he  ain't  a  man,  not  by  a  long  way." 

"  Well,  you  needn't  go  to  be  short-tempered  over 
it,  Sara.  The  boy  says  as  he'll  be  as  good  as  a  son 
to  me  if  the  time  ever  comes  as  how  I  may  want  it. 
There  is  no  call  for  you  to  fly  out  as  if  he'd  said  as 
he'd  poison  me  if  he'd  the  chance.  Anyhow,  you'll 
write  to  me  regular,  won't  you,  Bill  ?" 

"  That  I  will,"  the  boy  said.  "  Every  time  I  gets 
back  to  port  I'll  write  ;  and  you'll  write  sometimes, 
won't  you  ?  and  tell  me  how  you  are,  and  how 
every  one  is,  schoolmaster  and  all.  They  have  all 
been  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  have  nothing  to  say 
against  any  of  them." 

The  next  morning  William  Gale  laid  aside  for- 
ever his  workhouse  dress,  and  put  on  a  suit  of  rough 
blue  cloth,  fitted  for  his  future  work.  Then,  bid- 
ding adieu  to  all  his  friends,  he,  with  his  five  fellow- 
apprentices,  started  by  rail  under  charge  of  Sam 
Dickson  for  Yarmouth.  The  journey  itself  was  to 
them  a  most  exciting  event.  They  had  in  all  their 
remembrance  never  been  a  mile  from  the  work- 
house, and  the  swift  motion  of  the  train,  the  chang- 
ing scenery,  the  villages  and  stations,  were  a  source 
of  immense  interest.  As  they  neared  Yarmouth 
heir  excitement  increased,  for  now  they  were  near- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  37 

ing  the  sea,  of  which  they  had  read  so  much,  but 
could  form  so  little  idea.  They  were  disappointed, 
however,  inasmuch  as  no  glimpse  was  obtained  of 
it  as  they  crossed  the  flat  country  leading  to  the 
town ;  but,  failing  the  sea,  Yarmouth  itself — the 
town  which  was  henceforth  to  be  their  headquar- 
ters— was  in  the  highest  degree  interesting.  Pres- 
ently the  train  reached  the  station,  and  then  Sam 
Dickson,  who  had  made  many  annual  journeys  to 
Yarmouth  on  the  same  errand,  at  once  started  off 
with  them  to  the  smack-owners  who  had  written  to 
the  workhouse.  These  lived  at  Gorleston,  a  largo 
village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Walking 
down  from  the  station,  the  boys  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  river,  and  were  delighted  at  the  sight  of  the 
long  line  of  smacks  and  coasters  lying  by  the 
wharves  opposite. 

Presently  they  left  the  road  and  made  their  way 
down  to  the  river  side.  Their  guardian  had  great 
difficulty  in  getting  them  along,  so  interested  were 
they  in  the  smacks  lying  alongside.  Presently  they 
stopped  at  a  large  wooden  building,  over  which 
was  the  name  of  "  James  Eastrey." 

"  Here  we  are,"  Sam  Dickson  said.  "  E"ow  stop 
quietly  outside,  I  will  call  three  of  you  up  when  I 
have  spoken  to  Mr.  Eastrey." 

Presently  the  porter  reappeared  at  the  door,  and 


38  FOR  i^AME  AND  FAMB. 

called  three  of  the  boj^s  in.  William  Gale  was  one 
of  the  number,  James  Eastrey  being  the  name  of 
the  owner  to  whom  he  had  signed  his  indentures. 
A  smell  of  tar  pervaded  the  whole  place.  Nets, 
sails,  and  cordage  were  piled  in  great  heaps  in  the 
store  ;  iron  bolts  and  buckets,  iron  heads  for  trawls, 
and  ship's  stores  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Eastrey  came  out  from  a  little  wooden  office. 

"So,"  he  said,  "you  are  the  three  lads  who  are 
going  to  be  my  apprentices.  Well,  boys,  it  is  a 
rough  life ;  but  if  you  take  the  ups  and  downs  as 
they  come,  it  is  not  a  bad  one.  I  always  tell  my 
captains  to  be  kind  to  the  boys ;  but  when  they  are 
at  sea  they  do  not  always  act  as  I  wish  them. 
When  you  are  on  shore,  between  the  voyages,  I  give 
you  eight  shillings  a  week  to  keep  yourselves,  or  I 
put  you  in  the  Smack-boys'  Home  and  pay  for  you 
there.  The  last  is  the  best  place  for  you,  but  some 
boys  prefer  to  go  their  own  way.  I  suppose  you 
are  all  anxious  to  go  to  sea — boys  always  are  for 
the  first  time.  One  of  my  boats  is  going  out  to- 
morrow. You,"  he  said,  pointing  to  William  Gale, 
"  shall  go  in  her.     What  is  your  name  ?" 

"William  Gale,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  William  Gale,  then  you  shall  be  off 
first.  The  others  will  only  have  a  day  or  two  to 
Avait.    I  can  only  send  one  new  hand  in  each  graack, 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  39 

The  others  will  go  to  the  Home  till  the  smacks  are 
ready.  I  will  send  a  raau  with  them  at  once. 
They  can  have  a  day  to  run  about  the  town  ^ 
I  shall  find  plenty  of  work  for  them  afterward. 
You,  Gale,  will  stop  on  the  smack.  I  will  take  you 
on  board  in  half  an  hour  when  I  have  finished  my 
letter." 

The  three  lads  said  good-by  to  their  comrades 
and  to  Sam  Dickson.  A  sailor  was  called  up  and 
took  two  off  to  the  Smack-boys'  Home,  and  Will 
Gales  at  down  on  a  coil  of  rope  to  wait  till  his  em- 
ployer was  ready  to  take  him  down  to  the  craft  to 
which  he  was  henceforth  to  belong. 


40  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. ' 


CHAPTER  III. 

LIFE   ON     A     SMACK. 

"  Now  come  along,  Gale,"  Mr.  Eastrey  said  at 
last,  "  the  Kitty  is  close  by." 

Following  his  master  the  lad  went  out  from  the 
store,  and  along  the  wharf,  and  presently  stepped 
upon  a  smack  on  which  several  men  and  a  boy  were 
at  work. 

"  Harvey,"  Mr.  Eastrey  said,  "  I  have  brought  you 
a  new  lad.  He  will  sail  with  you  to-morrow.  J 
have  a  very  good  account  of  him,  and  I  think  you 
will  find  him  quick  and  ready." 

"  So  as  he's  not  up  to  tricks  I  shall  do  very  well 
with  him,  I  don't  doubt,"  the  skipper  said ;  "  but 
boys  are  an  awful  trouble  the  first  voyage  or 
two.  However,  I  will  do  my  best  for  him.  Are  you 
ready  to  begin  work  at  once,  young  'un  ?  what  is 
your  name  ?" 

"  "William  Gale,  and  I  am  quite  ready." 

"  Yery  well.  Bill,  chuck  off  your  jacket  then,  and 
pass  those  bags  along  from  the  wharf." 

The  boy  was  soon  hard  at  work.    He  was  a  littlQ 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  41 

disappointed  at  finding  that  the  stipper  was  in  dress 
and  manner  in  no  way  superior  to  the  rest  of  the 
crew.  The  Kitty  was  a  yawl  of  forty-five  tons, 
deep  in  the  water  and  broad  in  the  beam.  Her  deck 
was  dirty  and  at  present  in  disorder,  and  she  did  not 
come  up  to  the  perfection  of  neatness  and  cleanli- 
ness which  William  Gale  had  read  of  in  the  pages 
of  his  favorite  author.  However,  as  he  lold  him- 
self, there  must  of  course  be  a  good  deal  of  differ- 
ence between  a  man-of-war,  where  the  crew^  have 
little  to  do  but  to  keep  things  neat  and  bright,  and 
a  fishing-smack.  The  work  upon  which  he  was  at 
present  engaged  was  the  transferring  of  the  pro- 
visions for  the  voyage  from  the  quay  to  the  hold. 
These  consisted  principally  of  barrels  of  salt  meat 
and  bags  of  biscuits,  but  there  were  a  large  tin  of 
tea,  a  keg  of  sugar,  a  small  barrel  of  molasses — or 
treacle — two  or  three  sacks  of  potatoes,  pepper  and 
salt.  Then  there  w^as  a  barrel  of  oil  for  the  lamps, 
coils  of  spare  rope  of  different  sizes,  and  a  number 
of  articles  of  whose  use  William  Gale  had  not  the 
most  remote  idea. 

After  two  hours'  work^the  skipper  looked  at  his 
watch.  "Time  to  knock  off  work,"  he  said,  "and 
we've  got  pretty  near  everything  on  board.  I^ow 
be  sure  you  are  all  here  by  six  in  the  morning. 
Tide  will  begin  to  run  out  at  eight,  and  I  don't  want 


42  ^OB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

to  lose  any  of  it.  Bill,  you  are  to  come  home  with 
me  for  the  night." 

It  was  but  a  hundred  yards  to  the  sailor's  cottage, 
which  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  sharp  rise  a  short 
distance  back  from  the  river. 

"  Here,  wife,"  he  said  as  he  entered,  "  I've  got  a 
new  apprentice,  and  I  expect  he's  pretty  hungry  ;  1 
am,  I  can  tell  you,  and  I  hope  tea's  ready.  His 
name's  Bill,  and  he's  going  to  stop  here  to-night." 

"  I'ea  is  quite  ready,  John,  and  there's  plenty  of 
mackerel.  I  thought  you  would  not  be  getting 
them  again  for  a  spell.  Do  you  like  fish  ?"'  she 
asked  the  boy. 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am — I  never  tasted  them." 

"  Bless  me  !"  the  woman  cried  in  astonishment; 
"  never  tasted  fish  !     To  think  now  ! 

"  I've  been  brought  up  in  a  workhouse,"  William 
said,  coloring  a  little  as  he  spoke,  for  he  knew  the 
prejudice  against  the  House. 

"  Ah  !"  she  said,  "  we  have  had  a  good  many  of 
that  sort,  and  I  can't  say  as  I  likes  'em  for  the  most 
part.  But  you  haven't  got  the  look  about  you. 
You  don't  seem  that  sort." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  turn  out  none  the  worse  for  it," 
the  boy  said  ;  "  at  any  rate  I'll  do  my  best. 

"  And  none  can't  do  more,"  the  good  woman 
said  briskl}'.  "I  like  your  looks.  Bill,  and  you've  a 
nice  way  of  talking ;  well,  we  shall  see." 


FOB  NAME  AND  FA  ME.  4,^ 

In  a  few  minutes  tea  was  upon  the  table,  and 
Will  sat  down  with  the  skipper,  his  wife,  and  two 
daughters,  girls  of  ten  and  twelve.  The  lad  enjoyed 
his  meal  immensely,  and  did  full  justice  to  the  fish. 

"  You  Avill  have  plenty  of  them  before  you  eat 
your  next  tea  on  shore.  IVe  pretty  nigh  live  on 
them  when  we  are  on  the  fishing  grounds." 

**The  same  kind  of  fish  as  this  ?" 

"  1^0,  mackerel  are  caught  in  small  boats  with  a 
different  sort  of  gear  altogether.  We  get  them 
sometimes  in  the  trawl,  not  shoals  of  'em,  but  single 
fish,  which  we  call  horse-mackerel." 

After  tea  the  skipper  lit  his  pipe,  and  his  wife, 
after  clearing  up,  took  some  knitting  and  sat  down 
and  began  to  question  the  new  apprentice. 

"  It's  lucky  for  you,  you  found  such  a  good 
friend,"  she  said  when  he  had  finished  his  story. 
"  That's  how  it  is  you  are  so  different  from  other 
boys  who  have  been  apprenticed  from  the  House. 
I  should  never  have  thought  you  had  come  from 
there.  And  she  gave  you  good  advice  as  to  how 
you  should  go  on,  I'll  be  bound." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  Will  said,  "  and  I  hope  I  shall  act 
up  to  it." 

"  I  hope  so,  Bill ;  but  j'^ou'll  find  it  hard  work  to 
keep  yourself  as  you  should  do  among  them  boys. 
They  are  an  awful  lot,  them  smack-boys." 


44  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  Not  worse  nor  other  boys,"  her  husband  said. 

"Not  worse  than  might  be  looked  for,  John,  but 
they  are  most  of  'em  pretty  bad.  The  language 
they  use  make  my  blood  run  cold  often.  They 
seems  to  take  a  delight  in  it.  The  hands  are  bad 
enough,  but  the  boys  are  di;eadful.  I  suppose  you 
don't  swear,  Will ;  they  look  too  sharp  after  you  in 
'the  House ;  but  if  you  take  my  advice,  boy,  don't  j^ou 
ever  get  into  the  way  of  bad  language.  If  3''ou  once 
begin,  it  will  grow  on  you.  There  ain't  no  use  in 
it,  and  it's  awful  to  hear  it," 

"  I  will  try  not  to  do  so,"  Will  said  firmly. 
"  Mother — I  always  call  her  mother — told  me  how 
bad  it  was,  and  I  said  I'd  try." 

"That's  right.  Will,  you  stick  to  that,  and  make 
np  your  mind  to  keep  from  liquor,  and  you'll  do." 

"  What's  the  use  of  talking  that  way  ?"  the  skip- 
per said.     "  The  boy's  sure  to  do  it.     They  all  do." 

"  Not  all,  John ;  there's  some  teetotalers  in  the 

fleet." 

"  I  won't  say  I'll  never  touch  it,"  Will  said,  "  for 

I  don't  know  yet  how  I  may   want  it ;  they  say 

when   you   are  cold  and  wet  through  at  sea  it  is 

really   good ;  but  T   have   made   up  my  mind  I'll 

never  drink  for  the  sake  of  drinking.     Half  the  men 

— ay,  nineteen  out  of  twenty  in  the  House — would 

never  have  been  there,  I've  heard  mother  say,  if  it 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  45 

hadn't  been  for  drink ;  and  I  told  her  she  need 
never  fear  I'd  take  to  that." 

"  If  you  can  do  without  it  on  shore,  you  can  do 
without  it  at  sea,"  the  skipper  said.  "  I  take  it 
when  I'm  on  shore,  but  there's  not  a  drop  goes  out 
on  the  Kitty.  Some  boats  carries  spirits,  some 
don't.  We  don't.  The  old  man  puts  chocolate  on 
board  instead,  and  of  a  wet  night  a  drink  of  hot 
chocolate's  worth  all  the  rum  in  the  world.  As  for 
giving  it  up  altogether,  I  see  no  call  for  it.  There 
are  men  who  can't  touch  liquor  but  they  must  go  on 
till  they  get  drunk.  That  sort  ought  to  swear  off 
and  never  touch  it  at  all.  It's  worse  than  poison  to 
some.  But  for  a  man  who  is  content  with  his  pint 
of  beer  with  his  dinner,  and  a  glass  of  grog  of  an 
evening,  I  see  no  harm  in  it." 

"  Except  that  the  money  might  be  better  spent, 
John." 

"  It  might  be,  or  it  might  not.  In  my  case  the 
saving  would  be  of  no  account.  The  beer  costs 
threepence,  and  the  rum  as  much  more.  That's  six- 
pence a  day.  I'm  only  at  home  ten  days  once  every 
two  months,  so  it  come  to  thirty  shillings  a  year;, 
and  I  enjoy  my  dinner  and  my  evening  pipe  all  thi; 
better  for  them." 

"  The  thing  is  this.  Will,  you  don't  know,  when 
you  begin,  whether  you  are  going  to  be  one  of  the, 


46  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMK 

men  who,  like  my  John,  is  content  with  his  pint  of 
beer  and  his  ^lass  of  grog,  or  whether  you  will  be 
one  of  them  as  can't  touch  liquor  without  wanting 
to  make  beasts  of  themselves.  Therefore  the  safest , 
plan  is,  don't  touch  it  at  all — leastways  till  you've 
served  your  time.  The  others  may  laugh  at  you 
at  first,  but  they  won't  like  you  any  the  worse  for 
it." 

"  Thank  you,  ma*am.  I  will  make  up  my  mind 
to  that — not  to  touch  liquor  till  I  am  out  of  my 
apprenticeship.     After  that,  I  can  see  for  mj'^self." 

"  That's  right,  lad.  When  you  come  back  from 
your  first  trip,  you  can  join  the  lodge  if  you  like.  I 
and  my  girls  are  members." 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am,"  Will  said  ;  "  but  I  won't 
take  any  pledge,  I  have  said  I  will  not  do  it,  and  I 
don't  see  any  use  in  taking  an  oath  about  it.  If  ^ 
am  so  weak  as  to  break  my  word,  I  should  break 
my  oath.  I  don't  know  why  I  shouldn't  be  able  to 
trust  myself  to  do  as  I  am  willed,  in  that  way  as  in 
any  other.  If  I'd  a  craving  after  it,  it  might  be 
different ;  but  I  never  have  tasted  it,  and  don't 
want  to  taste  it ;  so  I  don't  see  why  I  can't  trust 
myself." 

"  Yes,  I  think  as  how  you  can  trust  yourself. 
Will,"  the  woman  said,  looking  at  him ;  "and  I've 
noticed  often  that  it  isn't  them  who  say  most  as  do 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  i^ 

most.  Now,  I  dare  say,  you  are  sleepy.  There's 
my  boy's  bed  for  you.  He  is  fourth  hand  in  one  of 
the  smacks  at  sea." 

The  next  morning  "Will  was  out  of  bed  the  instant 
he  W9,s  called,  excited  at  the  thought  that  he  was 
going  really  to  sea.  The  skipper's  wife  had  tea 
made  and  the  table  laid. 

"  Here,"  she  said,  "  are  some  oilskin  suits  my 
boy  has  given  up.  They  will  suit  you  well  enough 
for  size  ;  and  although  they  are  not  as  good  as  they 
were,  they  will  keep  out  a  good  deal  of  water  yet. 
You  will  get  half-a-crown  a  week  while  you  are  at 
sea,  so  by  the  time  you  get  back  you  will  have 
enough  to  buy  yourself  a  fresh  suit." 

Half  an  hour  later  Will  was  at  work  getting  two 
spare  sails  and  the  last  of  the  stores  on  board. 

" Now,  Bill,  come  below,"  the  skipper  said.  "I 
will  show  you  your  bunk." 

The  cabin  was  larger  than  Will  had  expected.  It 
was  about  twelve  feet  square,  and  lofty  enough  for 
a  tall  man  to  stand  upright.  Bj'  the  side  of  the 
companion  stairs  was  a  grate,  on  which  a  kettle  was 
boiling ;  and  this,  as  he  aftervrard  learned,  was  a 
jBxture,  except  when  cooking  was  going  on,  and  the 
men  could  have  tea  whenever  they  chose.  Round 
three  sides  of  the  cabin  extended  lockers,  the  tops 
forming  seats.     Above  were  what  looked  like  cup- 


48  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

boards  running  round  the  sides,  but  the  skipper 
pushed  open  a  sliding  door  and  showed  a  bed- 
place. 

"  That  is  your  bunk,"  he  said.  "  You  see,  there 
are  two  at  the  end,  and  one  each  side,  above,  and  as 
many  under  them — eight  bunks  in  all.  You  will 
have  to  help  Jack,  that  is  the  other  boy,  in  cooking, 
and  make  3^ourself  useful  generally  in  the  day. 
The  crew  are  divided  into  two  watches,  but  you  will 
not  have  much  to  do  on  deck.  If  the  night  is  clear 
you  can  sleep,  except  when  the  trawl  is  being  got 
up.  Of  a  thick  or  stormy  night  you  will  keep  your 
watch.  Now,  as  the  other  lad  is  more  handy  on 
deck  than  you  are,  3'^ou  can  take  charge  here.  All 
you  have  to  do  is  to  see  that  the  kettle  is  kept  boil- 
ing. You  can  come  on  deck  and  lend  a  hand  if 
wanted,  but  you  must  come  down  sometimes  and 
see  the  lire  is  all  right." 

After  inspecting  the  contents  of  the  kettle,  and 
seeing  that  it  was  full,  Will  climbed  up  the  steep 
ladder  again,  and  was  soon  working  away  coiling 
down  the  ropes  with  the  other  lad,  while  the  crew 
hoisted  sails  and  got  the  boat  under  weigh. 

"Are  there  only  two  hands  under  the  captain  ?" 
he  asked  the  other  boy. 

"  There  are  two  others,"  the  boy  said.  "  They 
will  come  on  board  after  we  get  out  of  the  river, 


l^On  IT  A  ME  A  NT)  FA  Mk  49 

and  you'll  see  they  will  be  just  as  drunk  as  they  can 
stand." 

"  What,  drunk  at  this  time  in  the  morning  ?" 

"  Yes,  they  got  drunk  last  night,  and  as  they 
won't  have  fairly  slept  it  off  they  will  be  beginning 
again  this  morning.  The  old  man  will  look  them 
up  and  get  them  off." 

"  Who  is  the  old  man  ?" 

"Old  Eastrey,  of  course,  stupid.  I  wish  they 
were  all  on  board.  There's  a  fine  breeze,  and  I  hate 
wasting  four  or  jfive  hours  off  the  bar  waiting  for 
the  hands  to  come  off." 

"  I  wonder  the  old  man  stands  it,"  Will  said. 

"  He  can't  help  it,"  the  other  answered.  "  Scarce 
a  smack  goes  out  of  Yarmouth  without  half  the 
hands  being  drunk  when  she  starts.  They  don't 
get  much  chance  afterward,  you  see,  and  they  sleep 
it  off  by  night,  so  it  don't  make  any  odds.  Our 
skipper  is  always  sober,  and  that's  more  than  many 
of  them  are.  I  have  gone  out  when  me  and  the 
other  boy  were  the  only  two  sober  on  board." 

"  But  isn't  it  very  dangerous  ?" 

"  Dangerous !  no,"  the  boy  said  ;  "  one  of  them  is 
sure  to  be  sober  enough  to  manage  to  stand  at  the 
helm,^and  though  I've  bumped  pretty  heav}^  on  the 
sands  sometimes  we  generally  strike  the  channel. 
There  is  no  fear  of  anything  else.     We  never  start 


50  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

if  a  gale  is  blowing,  and  the  smacks  are  safe  in  any- 
thing but  a  gale.  They  are  too  deep  to  capsize,  and 
at  sea  there's  no  more  drinking." 

The  smack  dropped  down  the  river,  and  stood  off 
and  on  near  its  entrance.  Will  was  delighted  with, 
the  bright  sea,  dotted  with  ships  and  fishing-craft. 
The  sun  was  shining,  and  there  was  just  enough 
wind  to  send  the  smack  along  briskly  through  the 
water  without  raising  any  waves  sufficiently  high 
to  give  her  a  perceptible  motion.  At  eight  o'clock 
the  captain  went  on  shore  in  the  boat  with  a  man 
to  look  after  the  absent  sailors,  leaving  only  one 
hand  and  the  two  boys  on  board.  At  ten  the  boat 
was  again  seen  coming  out. 

"  One,  two,  three,  four,"  the  boy  said,  "  he  has 
got  them  both.     Now  we  shall  be  off." 

The  boat  was  soon  alongside,  the  two  drunken 
men  were  helped  on  board,  and  at  once  went  below 
to  sleep  themselves  sober.  Then  the  boat  was 
hoisted  on  board,  and  the  second  hand  taking  the 
helm,  the  Kitty  started  fairly  on  her  way. 

"  j^ow,"  the  captain  said,  "  let  us  get  her  a  little 
tidy." 

It  took  some  hours'  work  before  the  deck  was 
washed,  the  ropes  coiled  down,  and  everj'^thing  ship- 
shape. By  the  time  all  was  done  the  low  coast  of 
Norfolk  had  sunk  below  the  horizon,  and  the  smack 


FOR  NAME  ANB  FAME.  51 

was  far  out  at  sea.  There  was  more  motion  now, 
but  the  wind  was  still  light.  The  skipper  was 
pleased  with  the  earnestness  and  alacrity  which  the 
new  apprentice  showed. 

"  Now,  Jack,"  he  said  to  the  other  boy,  "  take 
Will  below  with  you  and  show  him.  how  to  make 
tea." 

The  process  of  tea-making  on  board  a  smack  is 
not  a  difficult  one  to  master ;  the  sole  operation 
consisting  in  putting  a  few  more  spoonfuls  of  tea 
into  the  kettle  boiling  over  the  fire  when  it  begins 
to  get  low,  and  filling  up  with  fresh  water.  But 
simple  as  the  thing  was,  William  Gale  did  not  learn 
it  on  that  occasion.  He  had  been  feeling  somewhat 
shaky  even  while  on  deck,  and  the  heat  of  the  cabin 
and  the  smell  of  some  grease  which  Jack  had  just 
put  in  the  frying-pan  preparatory  to  cooking  some 
fish  brought  off  from  shore,  completed  the  effect  of 
the  rising  sea.  Until  next  morning  he  was  not  in  a 
condition  to  care  even  had  the  tea  remained  unmade 
to  the  end  of  time.  He  did  not  go  below,  but  lay 
under  the  shelter  of  a  tarpaulin  on  deck.  In  the 
morning  the  skipper  roused  him  up. 

"  !N'ow,  lad,  just  take  off  your  coat  and  shirt ;  here 
is  a  bucket  of  water,  put  your  head  in  that,  and 
give  yourself  a  good  sluice,  and  then  come  down 
and  have  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  bit  of  biscuit,  and  you 
will  find  yourself  all  right  again." 


52  ^OR  NAME  AND  FA  MS!. 

Will  followed  the  instructions  and  found  himself 
wonderfully  better. 

"  Now,  lad,  lend  a  hand  in  tidying  up  on  deck ; 
there  is  nothing  like  work  for  keeping  off  sea-sick- 
ness.   Jack  shall  cook  for  to-day." 

The  boy  set  to  work  with  a  will,  and  felt  so  re- 
freshed that  by  one  o'clock  he  was  able  to  go  below 
and  take  his  share  of  the  dinner.  At  present,  while 
on  their  way  to  the  fishing-grounds,  their  meals 
were  taken  at  the  same  time  as  on  shore ;  but  once 
at  work,  there  were  only  two  meals  a  day  :  of  these 
the  first  was  taken  when  the  fishing  was  over,  the 
fish  cleaned,  picked,  weighed,  and  packed — the  hour 
varying  between  nine  and  eleven.  The  second  meal 
was  taken  before  the  trawl  was  lowered  at  six  or 
seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

After  five  days'  sailing  the  smack  arrived  off  the 
fishing-ground,  but  another  two  days  were  spent  in 
finding  the  fleet,  as  the  fishing-grounds  extend  over 
a  distance  of  some  hundreds  of  miles.  When  they 
came  up  with  it  William  Gale  was  astonished  at  the 
vast  number  of  boats  that  dotted  the  sea. 

In  the  Yarmouth  fleet  there  are  between  four 
and  five  hundred  vessels ;  and,  were  it  not  that  the 
most  perfect  order  and  discipline  reign,  the  number 
of  accidents  which  would  occur,  from  so  man^^ 
boats  fishing  close  to  each  other  at  night,  would  be 


FOn  NA  ^fE  AND  FAME.  53 

terrible.  The  fleet  is  commanded  by  one  of  the 
most  experienced  skippers,  who  is  termed  the  ad- 
miral. His  authority  is  absolute  :  he  leads  the  fleet 
to  the  grounds  he  selects  for  fishing,  and  by  signals 
by  day  and  rockets  by  night  issues  his  orders — 
when  the  nets  are  to  be  lowered  down  and  drawn 
up,  the  course  which  is  to  be  steered,  and  the  tack 
on  which  they  are  to  stand. 

The  fishing  is  entirely  done  at  night.  The  trawls 
are  let  down  about  dusk,  and  the  fleet  attached  to 
these  moving  anchors  forge  slowly  ahead  and  to 
leeward  until  daybreak.  Then  the  trawls  are  got 
in  and  the  fleet  sail  in  a  body  to  the  spot  where  the 
admiral  decides  that  fishing  shall  be  continued  in 
the  evening.  At  ten  o'clock  at  night  the  trawls 
are  hauled  in  and  the  nets  emptied.  All  hands  are 
called  up  for  this  operation  ;  when  it  is  concluded 
the  trawl  is  again  lowered  and  the  fish  cleaned  and 
packed,  by  the  light  of  a  torch  formed  of  rope 
dipped  in  tar.  The  watch  who  have  hitherto  been 
on  deck  turn  in,  and  the  others  remain  on  deck 
until  morning,  when  the  nets  are  again  hauled  in. 

There  is  not,  indeed,  much  for  the  watch  to  do, 
as  the  smack  needs  no  steering  and  the  attention  of 
the  men  on  deck  is  directed  chiefly  to  see  that  no 
other  smack  drifts  down  upon  them.  Should  there 
appear  any  danger  of  this,  a  flare  is  lit  to  warn  the 


54  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

other  sraacksmen.  The  trawl  rope  is  slacked  out  or 
hauled  in  as  the  case  may  require,  and  generally 
volleys  of  strong  language  pass  between  the  respec- 
tive crews.  The  trawl-beam  is  a  heavy  pole,  some 
thirty  or  thirty -five  feet  long  ;  at  each  end  are  fitted 
strong  iron  hoops  of  about  three  feet  in  diameter. 
These  keep  the  pole  from  touching  the  ground  and 
keep  open  the  mouth  of  the  net,  one  side  of  which 
is  attached  to  the  pole  while  the  other  drags  along 
the  bottom. 

The  net  resembles,  in  shape  a  long  deep  purse, 
and  has  various  pockets  and  other  contrivances  by 
which,  when  a  fish  has  once  entered  its  mouth,  it  is 
prevented  from  returning. 

The  trawl-rope,  which  is  from  forty  to  eighty 
yards  in  length,  according  to  the  depth  of  the  water, 
is  hauled  in  by  means  of  a  winch,  and  its  great 
weight  taxes  the  united  strength  of  the  crew  to  get 
it  level  with  the  bulwark.  When  it  is  up,  the  net 
is  hauled  on  board,  the  small  end  is  opened,  and  the 
fish  tumble  on  to  the  deck ;  they  are  then  separated 
and  packed  in  trunks,  as  the  wooden  cases  in  which 
they  are  sent  to  market  are  called.  Soles  fetch  by 
far  the  highest  price,  and  fortunate  are  the  crew 
who  get  a  good  haul  of  this  fish,  for  the  men  work 
upon  shares,  an  account  being  kept  of  all  the  sales 
made  during  the  fishing  trip.     The  owner  deducts 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  '  55 

the  cost  of  the  provisions  and  stores  which  have 
been  put  on  board  and  takes  one  or  more  shares  for 
the  vessel.  Each  man  has  one  share,  the  skipper 
and  mate  receiving  rather  a  larger  proportion  than 
the  others;  thus  the  men  have  a  lively  interest  in 
each  haul,  and  great  is  the  satfsfaction  when  the 
net  comes  up  well  filled,  and  there  is  seen  to  be  a 
good  proportion  of  soles  among  the  contents. 

The  coarse  fish,  as  they  are  called,  include  brill, 
haddock,  hake,  ling,  whiting,  and  many  others. 
Turbot  are  also  caught. 

In  each  haul  there  would  probably  be  a  vast  num- 
ber of  objects  which  would  delight  the  heart  of  a 
naturalist.  Dog-fish,  too,  are  sometimes  taken,  as 
are  conger-eels  and  horse-mackerel ;  stones  and 
03'sters  too  come  upin  the  nets  and  the  latter  are 
the  hetes-noirs  of  the  fishing.  Sometimes  when  the 
fleet  gets  over  a  bed  of  oysters  a  score  of  nets  will 
be  lost  in  a  single  night ;  for  when  the  bag  becomes 
full  of  oysters,  its  weight  is  so  great  that  the  utmost 
power  of  the  fishermen's  exertions  on  the  winch  is 
insufiicient  to  lift  it  from  the  bottom,  and  there  is 
nothing  to  be  done  but  to  cut  the  rope  and  abandon 
trawl  and  net.  Upon  these  occasions  the  language 
applied  to  the  admiral  is  scarcely  of  a  kind  for 
polite  ears. 

The  food  of  the  crews,  when  once  upon  the  fish- 
ing-ground, consists  almost  wholly  of  fish.    With 


56  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  exception  of  soles,  each  man  may  select  any  fish 
he  fancies  from  the  glistening  mass  upon  the  deck, 
and  the  amount  which  each  consumed  at  a  meal  at 
first  astonished  William  Gale,  accustomed  as  he 
was  to  meager  workhouse  rations.  He  soon,  how- 
ever, found  himself  able  to  keep  up  with  the  rest, 
but  the  operation  of  frying  seemed  sometimes  inter- 
minable, so  many  times  had  the  pan  to  be  filled 
and  emptied. 

Hard  biscuits  were  eaten  with  the  fish,  and  the 
whole  washed  down  with  copious  draughts  of  tea 
without  milk.  Two  or  three  times  a  week  the  men 
would,  as  a  change,  have  a  meal  of  salt  meat ;  and 
on  Sundays  a  duff  or  pudding  of  flour  and  currants 
was  made. 

A  few  days  after  joining  the  fleet  the  weather 
changed,  the  sky  became  gloomy  and  threatening. 
The  wind  blew  hard  and  a  heavy  sea  got  up.  Will 
found  that  keeping  watch  at  night,  which  was 
pleasant  enough  on  a  fine  star-light  night,  was  a 
very  different  thing  now.  It  was  no  joke  looking 
ahead  with  the  wind  blowing  fiercely  and  showers 
of  spray  dashing  into  the  eyes ;  and  yet  a  vigilant 
watch  must  be  kept,  for  if  the  rockets  which 
ordered  the  hauling  of  the  trawl  were  not  noticed, 
some  other  smack  moving  rapidly  when  released 
from  the  drag  of  its  net  might  at  any  moment  come 
into  collision  with  the  smack. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMA  57 

Still  more  important  was  it  to  notice  upon  whicti 
side  the  trawl  was  to  be  lowered,  after  being 
emptied,  and  upon  which  tack  the  vessel  was  to 
proceed.  For  a  mistake  in  this  respect  would  be 
certain  to  bring  the  smack  across  another,  in  which 
case  the  trawl-ropes  would  become  entangled,  in-  . 
volving,  in  a  heavy  sea,  the  certain  loss  of  one  or 
the  other.  Many  of  the  smacks  carry  dogs,  and  it 
is  found  that  these  become  even  better  watchers 
than  their  masters ;  for  they  can  be  relied  on  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  watch,  by  sharp  barking, 
to  the  letting  up  of  the  rocket,  however  distant. 

A  rocket  may  seem  to  be  an  easy  thing  to  see, 
but  in  a  large  fleet  the  sternmost  smacks  may  be 
three  or  four  miles  away  from  the  leaders,  and  in  a 
dark  thick  night  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  make 
out  even  a  rocket  at  that  distance. 

The  wind  increased  to  a  gale ;  the  trawls  were 
up  now,  and  the  fleet  lay-to.  It  may  be  explained 
that  this  operation  is  performed  by  bringing  a  ship 
nearly  into  the  e^'^e  of  the  Avind,  and  then  hauling 
the  fore-sail  across,  and  belaying  the  sheet.  The 
aft  sail  or  mizzen  is  then  hauled  tight,  and  the 
tiller  lashed  amidships.  As  the  fore-sail  pays  the 
vessel  off  from  the  wind,  the  after-sail  brings  her 
up  again,  and  she  is  thus  kept  nearly  head  to  sea, 
and  the  crew  go  below  and  wait  till  the  storm 
abates. 


58  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


KUN   DOWN. 


William  Gale  was  astonished  at  the  fury  of  the 
tempest  and  the  wildness  of  the  sea.  Although  at 
the  workhouse  he  had  often  heard  the  wind  roaring 
round  the  walls,  there  was  nothing  to  show  him  the 
force  that  was  being  exerted.  There  were  but  few 
trees  in  the  neighborhood,  and  William  had  hardly 
ever  been  without  the  walls  except  in  fine  summer 
weather.  He  was  therefore  almost  bewildered  by 
the  force  and  fury  of  the  gale,  and  by  the  noise  as 
it  shrieked  through  the  rigging  and  howled  across 
the  water.  The  occasional  flapping  of  the  sails  and 
the  rattling  of  the  heavy  blocks  added  to  the  din, 
and  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  Kitty,  which,  like  rll 
fishing-smacks,  was  very  deep  in  the  water,  must  be 
completely  engulfed  by  the  great  waves  which 
swept  down  upon  her. 

Several  times  indeed,  he  was  obliged  to  leap 
down  into  the  cabin  to  avoid  being  swept  away 
by  the  great  masses  of  green  water  which,  pouring 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  59 

over  her  bows,  swept  aft,  carrying  away  all  before 
them. 

But  the  Yarmouth  smacks  are  admirable  sea 
boats,  and  pounded  and  belabored  as  she  was,  the 
Kitty  always  shook  off  the  water  that  smothered 
her,  and  rose  again  for  the  next  wave.  In  twenty- 
four  hours  the  gale  abated,  the  scattered  fleet  "were 
assembled,  each  flying  its  flag,  and  it  was  found 
that  three  were  missing,  having  either  foundered, 
or  been  driven  away  from  their  consorts. 

With  the  return  of  fine  weather  the  fishing  began 
again,  and  William  thoroughly  enjoyed  his  life. 
The  skipper  was  kind  and  forbearing ;  he  neither 
ill-treated  the  boys  himself  nor  permitted  any  of 
the  crew  to  do  so,  and  everything  went  on  regularly 
and  comfortably.  There  were  a  few  books  on 
board,  and  of  an  evening  after  the  trawl  Avas  low- 
ered, and  before  the  watch  below  turned  into  their 
bunks,  William,  who  was  the  best  reader  on  board, 
would  be  asked  to  read  aloud  for  an  hour.  Some- 
times there  werfe  songs,  and  as  the  Kitty  was  for- 
tunate, and  her  taking  of  fish  good,  the  men  were 
all  cheerful  and  good-tempered. 

Once  every  three  or  four  days  the  collecting 
steamer  came  in  sight,  then  there  was  a  general 
race  in  the  fleet  to  put  the  trunks  of  fish  on  board 
her.    Each  did  his  best  to  be  in  good  time,  for  when 


60  I^li  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  catch  had  been  heavy  the  steamer  was  some- 
times unable  to  take  the  whole  of  it,  in  which  case 
the  portion  left  behind  would  be  wholly  spoilt  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  another  steamer. 

The  whole  of  the  fleet,  therefore,  ran  down  to- 
ward the  steamer  as  soon  as  she  was  seen  ;  the 
heavy  boats  were  tossed  overboard,  and  the  trunks 
lowered  into  them,  and  two  hands  jumped  in  to  row 
them  to  the  steamer.  Round  her  a  swarm  of  boats 
would  soon  be  collected,  each^triving  to  get  along- 
side to  deliver  the  fish. 

In  calm  weather  the  scene  was  simply  amusing, 
but  when  the  sea  was  high  it  was  exciting  and  even 
dangerous ;  indeed,  in  the  course  of  a  year  more 
lives  are  lost  in  the  process  of  taking  the  fish  from 
the  smack  to  the  steamer  than  in  vessels  foundered 
by  gales. 

Sometimes  the  fleet  will  be  joined  by  Dutch  trad- 
ing-smacks, who  exchange  fresh  bread  and  meat, 
tobacco,  and  spirits,  for  fish.  This  trafiic  is  the 
cause  alike  of  loss  to  the  owners  by  the  fish  thus 
parted  with,  and  of  injury  to  the  men  by  the  use  of 
spirits.  Fortunately  the  skipper  of  the  Kitt}^  al- 
though not  averse  to  the  use  of  spirits  on  shore, 
was  a  strict  man  at  sea,  and  saw  that  no  one  took 
more  than  a  single  glass  of  grog  of  an  evening. 

Over  ^nd  over  again  Will  congratulated  himself 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME.  61 

that  be  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  his  first  voy- 
age under  such  a  skipper,  for  he  shuddered  at  the 
stories  Jack  told  him  of  the  cruelties  and  barbarities 
with  which  apprentices  are  treated  on  board  some 
of  the  smacks.  Although,  however,  there  is  no 
doubt  many  brutal  skippers  hail  from  Yarmouth, 
the  fleet  from  that  town  bears  a  good  reputation  in 
comparison  with  that  of  Grimsby,  where  the  num- 
ber of  apprentices  returned  as  drowned  each  year  is 
appalling. 

One  night  when  the  wind  was  high  and  the  fleet 
trawling  lower  down  the  North  Sea  than  usual, 
"Will,  who  was  on  deck,  was  startled  at  seeing  a 
great  ship  bearing  down  upon  the  smack.  He  gave 
a  shout  of  terror  and  warning,  which  was  joined  in 
by  the  crew  on  deck.  One  ran  for  the  hatchet  to 
cut  the  trawl,  and  thus  give  steerage-way  to  the 
smack.  It  was  too  late ;  in  another  moment  the 
great  ship  bore  down  upon  them  with  a  crash,  and 
the  Kitty  sank  beneath  the  waves. 

The  bowsprit  of  the  vessel  projected  across  the 
deck,  just  at  the  point  where  William  Gale  was 
standing ;  and  in  a  moment  he  caught  at  the  bob- 
stay,  and  quickly  hauled  himself  on  to  the  bowsprit. 
Climbing  along  this  he  was  soon  on  board.  Two 
or  three  sailors  were  leaning  over  the  bows,  peering 
into  the  darkness.    They  had  not  seen  the  smack, 


62  i^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

until  too  late  to  avoid  it ;  and  the  collision  which 
had  proved  fatal  to  the  Kitty  had  scarcely  been  felt 
by  the  ship.  Will  was  at  once  taken  to  the  captain, 
who  spoke  English  ;  the  boy  implored  him  to  turn 
back,  but  the  captain  shook  his  head. 

"  It  would  be  useless,"  he  said  ;  "  the  sea  is  heavy, 
and  in  these  long  boots  " — and  he  pointed  to  the 
sea-boots  up  to  the  thigh  which  all  fishermen  wear 
— "  no  man  could  swim  for  two  minutes,  nor  would 
there  be  a  chance,  if  they  could,  of  our  finding  them 
on  so  dark  a  night.  I  am  very  sorry,  my  lad,  but  it 
cannot  be  helped  ;  it  would  take  half  an  hour  to 
bring  the  ship  about  and  go  back  to  the  spot  where 
the  smack  sank,  and  we  might  not  get  within  half 
a  mile  of  it.     You  know  as  well  as  I  do." 

Will  had  been  long  enough  at  sea  to  recognize 
the  truth  of  what  the  captain  said.  As  he  was  led 
forward  he  burst  into  tears  at  the  thought  of  the  loss 
of  his  kind  friend  the  captain,  and  the  rest  of  his 
mates.  The  sailor  who  accompanied  him  patted 
him  on  the  back,  and  spoke  cheeringly  to  him  in  a 
foreign  language,  and  he  was  soon  between  decks 
with  the  crew.  Several  of  these  could  speak  Eng- 
lish, and  Will  found  that  he  was  on  board  a  Dutch 
merchantman,  bound  with  troops  for  Java.  The 
wind  got  up,  and  in  the  morning  it  was  blowing  a 
heavy  gale   from   the   east,  and   the   vessel   with 


Fon  NAME  AND  PAME  .  6g 

reefed  topsails  was  running  for  the  straits  between 
Dover  and  Calais  at  twelve  knots  an  hour.  After 
breakfast  the  captain  sent  for  William. 

"  I  am  sorry,  for  your  sake,  that  the  state  of  the 
weather  will  prevent  our  communicating  with  any 
ship  we  may  meet.  But  I  promise  you  that  if  the 
gale  breaks  before  we  are  fairly  out  from  the 
channel,  I  will  heave  to  and  put  you  on  board  a 
homeward-bound  ship." 

Such  a  chance  did  not  occur.  For  four  or  five 
days  the  gale  continued  with  great  severity,  and  be- 
fore it  ceased  the  ship  was  well  down  the  coast  of 
Spain  on  her  way  south.  When  the  captain  saw 
that  there  was  but  small  chance  of  his  being  able 
to  tranship  his  involuntary  passenger,  he  said  to 
him : 

"  Look  you,  my  lad.  I  fear  that  you  will  have 
to  make  the  voyage  with  me,  for  we  shall  not  touch 
at  any  port  until  we  arrive  at  our  destination.  If 
you  like,  1  will  ship  you  as  a  hand  on  board  as  from 
the  day  of  the  collision.  A  hand,  more  or  less,  will 
make  no  difference  to  the  owners,  and  the  money 
will  be  useful  to  you  when  you  leave  the  ship.  Of 
course,  you  can  return  in  her  if  you  think  fit ;  but 
it  is  likely  enough  that  when  we  reach  Java,  we 
may  be  sent  up  to  China  for  a  homeward  cargo,  in 
which  case  I  will  procure  you  a  passage  in  the  first 
ship  sailing  for  yojir  home," 


64  on  NAME  Alrt)  FAMZ 

"Will  gladly  accepted  the  offer.  He  was,  however, 
by  no  means  penniless  ;  for  upon  the  morning  after 
his  coming  on  board,  the  Dutch  officers  and  passen- 
gers, hearing  what  had  happened  in  the  night,  made 
a  collection  among  themselves  and  presented  the 
boy  with  a  purse  containing  fifteen  pounds. 

It  was  a  long  voyage,  but  not  an  unpleasant  one 
for  William;  his  duties  were  not  verj'^  heavy — he 
had  far  less  to  do  than  had  been  the  case  on  board 
the  smack.  A  month  on  board  the  Kitty  had  done 
much  toward  making  a  sailor  of  him,  for  there  are 
no  better  seamen  in  the  world  than  the  Yarmouth 
sraacksmen.  Going  aloft  was  at  first  a  trial,  but  he 
soon  learned  his  duties ;  and  being  a  strong  and  ac- 
tive lad,  he  was  quickly  able  to  do  efficient  work, 
and  speedily  gained  the  good  opinion  of  the  Dutch 
sailors  by  his  good  temper  and  anxiety  to  please. 

They  ran  some  little  distance  to  the  south  of  the 
Cape  before  shaping  an  easterly  course,  to  avoid 
the  bad  weather  so  frequently  met  with  there  ;  and, 
beyond  encountering  two  or  three  gales  of  no  ex- 
ceptional severity,  nothing  occurred  to  break  the 
monotony  of  the  voyage,  until  the  coasts  of  Java 
were  in  sight.  Upon  their  arrival  in  port  they 
found  no  vessel  there  about  to  sail  for  Europe,  and 
the  captain's  expectation  was  fulfilled,  as  he  found 
orders  awaiting  him  to  proceed  to  China  when  he 


FOR  NAME  AND  PaMW.  65 

had  landed  the  troops  and  discharged  his  cargo. 
Will  determined  to  continue  his  voyage  in  her  to 
that  place. 

Among  the  ship-boys  on  board  was  one  between 
whom  and  Will  Gale  a  great  friendship  had  been 
struck  up.  He  was  a  year  or  two  Will's  senior,  but 
scarcely  so  tall ;  upon  the  other  hand  he  was  nearly 
twice  his  girth.  He  talked  but  little,  but  his  broad 
face  was  ever  alight  with  a  good-tempered  grin. 
He  spoke  a  few  words  of  English,  and  Will  had, 
when  first  picked  up,  been  given  specially  into  his 
charge.  Will's  superior  activity  and  energy  as- 
tonished the  Dutch  lad,  whose  movements  were 
slow  and  heavy ;  while  Will,  on  his  part,  was  sur- 
prised at  the  strength  which  Hans  could  exert  when 
he  chose. 

One  day  when  Will  had  been  plaguing  him,  and 
ventured  within  his  reach,  the  lad  had  seized  and 
held  him  out  at  arm's-length,  shaking  him  as  a  dog 
would  a  rat,  till  he  shouted  for  mercy. 

The  two  were  soon  able  to  get  on  in  a  queer  mix- 
ture of  Dutch  and  English,  and  when  words  failed, 
they  would  eke  out  their  words  by  gestures.  The 
vessel  had  sailed  but  a  few  days  from  Java,  when 
there  were  signs  of  a  change  of  weather.  Hitherto 
it  had  been  lovely ;  now  a  slight  mist  seemed  to 
hang  over  the  sea,  while  overhead  it  was  clear  and 


66  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

bright.  There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the 
sails  hung  listlessly  against  the  masts.  "Will,  who 
was  leaning  against  the  bulwarks  chatting  to  Hans, 
observed  the  captain,  after  looking  round  at  the 
horizon,  go  into  his  cabin  ;  he  reappeared  in  a  min- 
ute, and  spoke  to  the  officer,  who  immediately 
shouted  an  order  for  "  all  hands  to  shorten  sail." 

"What  is  that  for?"  Will  said  wonderingly ; 
"  there  is  not  a  breath  of  wind." 

"  I  egzpect  captain  haz  looked  at  glass,"  Hans 
said;  "find  him  fall;  I  egzpect  we  going  to  have 
ztorm ;  very  bad  ztorms  in  dese  zeas." 

Will  ran  aloft  with  the  sailors,  and  in  ten  minutes 
every  inch  of  canvas,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
stay-sail,  was  stripped  from  the  ship ;  still  there  was 
not  a  breath  of  wind.  The  sea  was  as  smooth  as 
glass,  save  for  a  slight  ground-swell.  Although  the 
mist  did  not  seem  to  thicken,  a  strange  darkness 
hung  over  the  sky,  as  if  high  up  a  thick  fog  had 
gathered.  Darker  and  darker  it  grew,  until  there 
was  little  more  than  a  pale  twilight.  The  men 
stood  in  twos  and  threes,  watching  the  sea  and  sky, 
and  talking  together  in  low  tones. 

"  I  don't  like  this,  Hans,"  Will  said.  «  There  is 
something  awful  about  it." 

"We  have  big  ztorm,"  Hans  replied,  "zyclone 
thev  call  him." 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  MB,  67 

• 

Scarcely  had  Hans  spoken  when  the  sky  above 
seemed  to  open  with  a  crash,  a  roar  of  thunder 
louder  than  ten  thousand  pieces  of  artiller}*^  pealed 
around  them,  while  at  the  same  moment  a  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  strucii  the  mainmast,  shivering  it 
into  splinters,  and  prostrating  to  the  deck  five  sea- 
men who  were  standing  round  its  foot.  As  if  a 
signal  had  been  given  by  the  peal  of  thunder,  a 
tremendous  blast  of  wind  smote  the  vessel,  and, 
stripped  though  she  was  of  sails,  heaved  her  over 
almost  to  the  gunwale. 

For  a  moment  the  crew  were  paralyzed  by  the 
suddenness  of  the  catastrophe,  stunned  by  the  ter- 
rible thunder,  and  blinded  by  the  lightning.  None 
seemed  capable  of  moving.  Will  had  instinctively 
covered  his  eyes  with  his  hands — it  seemed  to  him 
for  a  moment  that  his  sight  was  gone.  Then  the 
voice  of  the  captain  was  heard  shouting : 

"Helm  hard  up;  out  axes  and  cut  away  the 
wreck  at  once !" 

Those  who  were  least  stupefied  by  the  shock 
sprang  in  a  dazed  and  stupid  way  to  obey  the 
order.  "Will  drew  out  his  knife,  and  feeling  rather 
than  seeing  what  he  was  doing,  tried  to  assist  in 
cutting  away  the  shrouds  of  the  fallen  mast — it  had 
gone  a  few  feet  above  the  deck.  Presently  he 
seemed,  as  he  worked,  to  recover  from  his  stupor, 


e§  POR  NA ME  AND  FAMH. 

and  the  power  of  sight  came  back  to  him.  'fheti  hd 
saw  that  the  vessel,  taken  on  the  broadside  by  the 
gale,  was  lying  far  over,  with  several  feet  of  her  lee 
deck  under  water. 

So  furious  was  the  wind  that  he  could  not  show 
his  head  over  the  weather  bulwark.  The  sea  was 
still  smooth,  as  if  the  water  was  flattened  by  the 
force  of  the  wind.  The  stay-sail  had  been  blown 
into  ribbons.  In  order  to  get  the  ship's  head  off 
the  wind  the  head  of  the  jib  was  hauled  up  a  few 
feet.  It  happened  to  be  a  new  and  strong  one ; 
and,  although  it  bellied  and  lashed  as  if  it  would 
tear  itself  into  fragments,  it  still  stood.  Again  the 
captain  gave  an  order,  and  the  sail  was  hauled  up  to 
its  full  height.  Still  further  the  vessel  heaved  over, 
and  Will  expected  every  moment  that  she  would 
capsize ;  then  gradually  her  head  paid  off,  and 
slowly  she  righted  and  flew  before  the  gale. 

"That  was  a  near  squeak,"  Will  said. 

"What  is  zqueak  ?"  Hans  shouted. 

"  I  mean  a  close  shave,"  Will  replied. 

Hans'  blue  eyes  opened  wider  than  usual. 

"  K  zhave !"  he  repeated  ;  "  what  are  you  talking 
about  zhaving  ?" 

"  No,  no,"  Will  said  laughing,  "  I  mean  a  narrow 
escape  of  being  capsized." 

Hans  nodded.    There  was  no  time  for  talk,  for 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  69 

orders  were  given  for  getting  preventor  stays  on 
the  foremast.  The  jib,  having  done  its  work,  had 
been  .hauled  down  the  instant  the  ship  paid  off, 
and  a  small  storm-sail  set  in  its  place.  The  men 
now  had  time  to  attend  to  those  who  had  been 
struck  by  lightning:  three  of  them  were  found  to 
be  dead,  but  the  other  two,  who  were  stunned 
and  senseless,  still  lived,  and  were  lifted  and  car- 
ried below. 

Serious  as  the  disaster  had  been,  Will  felt  that  the 
stroke  of  lightning  had  saved  the  ship.  The  pres- 
sure of  the  wind  upon  two  masts  and  hull  had 
nearly  sufficed  to  capsize  her ;  had  the  mainmast 
stood,  he  felt  that  she  must  have  gone  over.  The 
sea  got  up  in  a  few  minutes,  but  being  now  only  in 
light  ballast,  the  vessel  rose  easily  over  them. 
Four  men  were  at  the  helm,  for  the  waves  soon 
became  so  high  that  the  ship  yawed  dangerously 
on  her  course. 

The  gale  seemed  to  increase  rather  than  diminish 
in  fury,  and  the  sea,  instead  of  following  in  regular 
waves,  became  a  perfect  chaos  of  tossing  water, 
such  as  Will  had  never  before  seen.  He  understood 
it,  however,  when  half  an  hour  after  the  outburst  of 
the  gale,  he  heard  one  of  the  men,  who  had  just 
been  relieved  at  the  wheel,  say  that  in  that  time 
the  ship  had  already  run  twice  round  the  compass. 


70  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

She  was  therefore  in  the  very  center  of  the  cyclone, 
and  the  strangely  tossed  sea  was  accounted  for. 
The  motion  of  the  ship  was  extraordinary;  some- 
times she  was  thrown  on  one  side,  sometimes  on 
the  other.  Mountains  of  water  seemed  to  rise  sud- 
denly beside  her,  and  tumbled  in  great  green 
masses  over  the  bulwarks.  So  wild  and  sudden 
were  her  movements  that  even  the  oldest  sailors 
were  unable  to  keep  their  feet,  and  all  clung  on  to 
shrouds  or  belaying  pins. 

Will  and  Hans  had  lashed  themselves  by  the 
slack  of  a  rope  to  the  bulwarks-  close  to  each  other, 
and  there  clung  on;  sometimes  half-drowned  by  the 
waves  which  poured  in  above  them,  sometimes  torn 
from  their  feet  by  the  rush  of  green  water  as  the 
ship  plunged  he?\d-foremost  into  a  wave  or  shipped 
one  over  her  poop. 

Presently  there  was  a  crash  that  sounded  even 
above  the  fury  of  the  gale — the  foretopmast  had 
gone  at  the  cap.  The  axes  were  again  called  into 
requisition,  for  a  blow  from  the  floating  spar  would 
have  instantly  stove  in  the  side.  While  engaged 
upon  this  the  captain  called  two  of  the  men  with 
axes  aft.  These  were  set  to  work  to  chop  through 
the  shrouds  of  the  mizzen,  and  in  a  minute  later  the 
mast  snapped  asunder  on  the  level  of  the  deck  and 
went  over  the  side  with  a  crash,  carrying  away  sev- 
eral feet  of  the  bulwark. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  71 

This  act  was  necessitated  by  the  loss  of  the  foretop- 
mast,  as  the  pressure  of  the  wind  upon  theraizzen 
would  have  brought  her  head  up  and  laid  her  broad- 
side to  the  gale. 

The  motion  of  the  vessel  was  now  considerably 
easier,  and  there  was  no  longer  any  difficulty  in 
keeping  her  dead  before  the  wind.  She  was  now 
describing  much  larger  circles  in  her  course,  show- 
ing that  she  was  farther  removed  from  the  center 
of  the  cyclone.  After  five  or  six  hours  the  extreme 
violence  of  the  wind  somewhat  abated,  and  it  seemed 
to  settle  down  into  a  heavy  gale. 

For  two  days  the  vessel  ran  before  it.  She  had 
made  a  good  deal  of  water  from  the  opening  of  the 
seams  by  straining,  and  the  pumps  were  kept  going. 
They  were,  they  found,  able  to  prevent  the  water 
from  gaining  upon  them,  and  all  felt  that  they 
should  weather  the  tempest,  provided  that  they 
were  not  dashed  upon  any  of  the  islands,  in  which 
this  portion  of  the  ocean  abounds. 

The  crew  had  had  no  regular  meals  since  the  gale 
began,  for  the  caboose  had  been  broken  up  and 
washed  overboard  soon  after  the  commencement  of 
the  storm,  and  they  had  been  obliged  to  be  content 
with  biscuits ;  there  was  little  to  be  done  on  deck, 
and  the  watch  over,  they  passed  their  time  in  their 
bunks, 


72  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  of  the  tempest 
the  cry  was  raised  of  "Breakers  ahead!"  Will, 
with  his  comrades  of  the  watch  below,  sprang  from 
their  berths  and  hurried  on  deck. 

Far  ahead,  as  the  vessel  lifted  on  the  waves,  could 
be  seen  a  gleam  of  white  water.  In  anticipation  of 
such  a  danger,  a  small  spar  had  been  erected  upon 
the  stump  of  the  mizzen  and  steadied  with  strong 
stays.  Sail  was  now  hoisted  upon  this,  and  an 
effort  was  made  to  bring  the  vessel's  head  to  wind. 
AVatching  for  a  favorable  moment  between  the  pas- 
sages of  the  heavy  seas,  the  helm  was  put  down 
and  slowly  her  head  came  up  into  the  wind.  Under 
such  sail  the  captain  had  no  hope  of  being  able  to 
reach  out  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale ;  but  he  hoped  to 
be  able  to  claw  off  the  shore  until  clear  of  the  land 
which  lay  to  leeward  of  him. 

That  hope  soon  vanished.  One  of  the  mates  was 
sent  to  the  top  of  the  foremast,  and  descended  with 
news  that  as  far  as  could  be  seen  the  line  of  break- 
ers stretched  away,  both  on  her  beam  and  quarter. 
As  the  minutes  went  by  the  anxious  crew  could  see 
but  too  clearly  that  the  ship  was  drifting  down 
upon  the  land,  and  that  she  must  inevitably  be 
wrecked  upon  it. 

The  outlines  of  the  shore  could  now  be  seen — a 
forest  of  tossing  trees,  behind  which  high  land  could 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  73 

be  made  out  through  the  driving  clouds.  Orders 
were  now  given  to  prepare  to  anchor  ;  but  all  knew 
that  the  chances  were  slight  indeed.  The  water  is, 
for  the  most  part,  deep  close  alongside  the  islands  of 
the  Eastern  Archipelago ;  and  even  w^ere  the  hold-' 
ing-ground  good,  hemp  and  iron  would  hardly  hold 
the  vessel  head  to  the  gale  and  tremendous  sea. 

When  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  breakers 
the  man  with  the  lead  proclaimed  a  depth  of  ten 
fathoms.  This  was  better  than  they  had  expected. 
The  jib  was  lowered  and  her  head  brought  dead  to 
wind.  The  captain  shouted  "  cut,"  and  in  an  in- 
stant the  stoppers  were  severed  and  two  heavy  an- 
chors dropped  into  the  sea.  One  had  a  heavy  chain- 
cable,  the  other  hemp,  and  these  were  allowed  to 
run  out  to  the  bits.  The  vessel  brought  up  with 
less  shock  than  could  be  expected.  A  wave  or  two 
passed  under  her  and  still  her  cable  held. 

A  gleam  of  hope  began  to  reign,  when  a  moun- 
tainous sea  was  seen  approaching ;  higher  and 
higher  it  rose,  and  just  as  it  reached  the  ship  it 
curled  over  and  crashed  down  upon  her  deck.  The 
cables  snapped  like  pack-thread,  and  a  cry  of  despair 
arose  from  the  crew.  The  captain  was  calm  and 
collected,  and  shouted  orders  for  the  jib  to  be  again 
hoisted  and  the  helm  put  up,  so  as  to  run  her  head- 
first on  to  the  shore. 


74  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

As  they  neared  the  line  of  breakers  they  could 
see  heads  of  jagged  rocks  rising  among  them,  while 
beyond  a  belt  of  smooth  water,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
wide,  extended  to  the  land.  The  ship's  head  was 
directed  toward  a  point  where  no  rocks  appeared 
above  the  surface.  Every  one  held  their  breath, 
and  clinging  to  the  bulwarks  awaited  the  shock. 

The  vessel  lifted  on  a  great  wave  just  as  she  came 
to  the  line  of  broken  water,  and  as  she  settled  down 
struck  with  a  tremendous  crash. 

So  great  was  the  shock  that  she  broke  in  two 
amidships  as  if  she  had  been  made  of  paper,  the 
portion  aft  going  instantly  to  pieces,  and  at  once 
the  sea  around  was  covered  with  fragments  of 
wreck,  bales,  boxes,  and  casks.  Another  great  sea 
followed,  filling  the  now  open  ship,  forcing  up  the 
deck,  and  sweeping  everything  before  it. 

William  Gale  and  Hans  had  gone  as  far  forward 
as  possible.  "Come  out  xo  the  end  of  the  bowsprit," 
Will  said  to  Hans,  and  the  two  lads  crawled  out 
together  and  sat  on  the  end  of  the  spar. 

The  sea  beneath  them  was  white  as  milk  with  the 
foam  which  poured  over  the  reef,  but  Will  thought 
that  they  were  beyond  the  rooks.  Every  sea  which 
struck  the  wreck  added  to  the  disaster,  until  a  larger 
one  than  usual  struck  it  and  broke  it  into  frag- 
ments.  The  lads  clung  to  the  spair  as  it  fell ;  it  sank 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  75 

deep  in  the  water,  but  they  retained  their  hold  un- 
til it  came  to  the  surface,  and  Will  looked  round. 
They  were  safely  beyond  the  edge  of  the  reef.  The 
sea  was  still  rough  and  broken,  but  it  was  quiet 
compared  to  that  beyond  the  reef.  He  saw  that 
the  fore-mast  was  floating  near,  and  to  it  several 
were  clinging. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  spar  floated  to  land, 
the  boys  felt  the  bottom  with  their  feel,  and  soon 
scrambled  ashore.  A  few  minutes  later  the  fore- 
mast also  drifted  up,  and  several  men  clinging  to 
fragments  of  the  wreck  were  also  cast  ashore.  In 
all  eleven  men,  including  the  first  mate,  were  saved. 


76  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE      CASTAWAYS. 

After  waiting  on  the  shore  until  all  hope  that 
any  more  of  their  shipmates  survived  was  at  an 
end,  the  party,  by  the  mate's  orders,  detached  a  sail 
from  a  yard  that  had  drifted  ashore,  and  carried  it 
well  into  the  wood,  where  they  were  sheltered  to 
some  extent  from  the  force  of  the  gale.  A  stout 
pole  was  then  cut  and  lashed  between  two  trees ; 
the  sail  was  thrown  over  this  and  pegged  down  at 
both  sides.  A  fire  was  lit  with  some  difficulty ; 
then  a  quantity  of  ferns  and  branches  of  trees  were 
cot:  these  made  a  soft  and  elastic  bed,  and  the 
whole  party  slept  heavily  until  the  morning.  Then 
they  went  back  to  the  shore;  it  was  littered  thickly 
with  fragments  of  wreck,  casks,  boxes,  and  other 
articles  :  here  too  were  nearly  a  score  of  the  corpses 
of  their  shipmates.  The  first  duty  was  to  dig  a 
long  shallow  trench  in  the  sand,  beyond  high-water 
mark,  and  in  this  the  bodies  of  their  drowned  c^tn- 
rades  were  laid. 

The  storm  was  now  breaking,  glimpses  of  blue 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMB,  Tl 

sky  were  visible  overhead,  and  the  wind  had  greatly 
abated.  The  sea  upon  the  reef  was,  however,  as 
high  as  ever.  Setting  to  work  they  hauled  a  lai^ 
number  of  boxes  and  bales  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
waves.  One  of  the  casks  contained  biscuits,  and, 
knocking  in  the  head,  they  helped  themselves  to  its 
contents,  and  sat  down  to  talk  over  their  position. 

"  I  am  not  sare,"  the  mate  said,  "  that  our  poor 
comrades  there'' — and  he  nodded  toward  the  grave 
— "have  not  the  best  of  it.  The  inhabitants  of 
most  of  these  islands  are  bloodthirsty  pirates;,  who 
if  they  find  us  will  either  cut  our  throats  at  once  or 
keep  us  as  slaves.  Our  only  hope  is  that  we  may 
not  be  discovered  until  we  have  time  to  build  a 
boat  in  which  to  sail  away  to  Singapore  or  back  to 
Java.  Had  we  been  wrecked  further  south  things 
would  have  been  more  hopeful,  for  the  Papuans  are 
friendly  and  inoffensive  people.  These  islands  here 
are  inbabitetl  by  Malays,  the  most  bloodthirsty 
pirates  in  the  world.  However,  we  must  hope  that 
we  may  not  be  found  before  we  have  finished  a 
boat.  My  chest  is  among  those  which  have  been 
washed  up,  and  there  are  a  few  tools  in  it.  I 
always  had  a  fancy  for  carpentr\%  and  it's  hard  if 
in  a  fortnight  we  cannot  make  some  sort  of  craft 
which  will  carry  us.  Indeed,  if  we  content  oni"^ 
selves  with  a  strong  framework  covered  with  can- 
vas we  may  be  ready  in  four  or  five  days." 


78  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  men  set  cheerfulh'^  to  work  under  his  direc- 
tions. In  his  chest  was  a  hatchet,  saw,  and  chisels. 
With  these,  3'oung  trees  of  flexible  wood  were  cut 
down  and  split ;  a  keel  was  laid  twenty-five  feet  in 
length ;  cross-pieces  twelve  feet  long  were  pegged 
to  this  by  trenails — nails  formed  of  tough  and  hard 
wood.  The  cross-pieces  were  then  bent  upward 
and  fastened  to  the  strips  which  were  to  form  the 
gunwale.  Strengthening  pieces  were  placed  along 
at  distances  of  seven  or  eight  inches  apart,  and 
firmly  lashed.  "When  the  whole  was  finished  after 
three  days'  labor  the  framework  of  a  boat  twenty- 
five  feet  long,  three  feet  deep,  and  seven  feet  in 
beam  stood  upon  the  beach.  A  barrel  of  oil  had 
been  thrown  ashore,  and  with  this  the  mate  in- 
tended thoroughly  to  soak  the  canvas  with  which 
the  frame  was  to  be  covered.  The  boat  would,  he 
calculated,  carry  the  whole  of  the  men  with  an 
ample  store  of  food  and  water  for  the  voyage. 

Upon  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day,  as  on  their 
wa}^  to  work  they  emerged  from  the  wood  upon  the 
open  beach,  the  mate  gave  a  low  cry  and  pointed 
along  the  shore.  There,  between  the  reef  and  the 
island,  was  a  large  Malay  jprahu.  The  party  in- 
stantly fell  back  among  the  trees.  The  Malays 
were  apparently  cruising  along  the  reef  to  see  if  the 
late  storm  had  thrown   up  the  wreckage,  which 


POR  NAME  AND  FAME.  79 

might  be  useful  to  them ;  and  a  loud  shout  pro- 
claimed their  satisfaction  as  they  saw  the  shore 
strewn  with  the  remains  of  the  Dutch  ship.  The 
prahu  was  rowed  to  the  shore,  and  fifty  or  sixty 
Malays  sprang  from  the  bows  on  to  the  sand. 

Scarcely  had  they  done  so  when  a  shout  from  one 
of  them  called  the  attention  of  the  others  to  the 
framework  of  the  boat.  There  was  a  minute's  loud 
and  excited  chatter  among  them.  Then  they 
dashed  forward  to  the  wood,  the  deep  footsteps  in 
the  sand  showing  plainly  enough  the  direction  from 
which  the  builders  of  the  boat  had  come  and  gone. 
The  latter,  as  the  Malay  boat  neared  the  shore,  had 
retired  farther  into  the  wood,  but  from  the  screen 
of  leaves  they  were  able  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
As  they  saw  the  Malays  rush  in  an  excited  and 
yelling  throng  toward  the  wood,  the  little  party 
took  to  their  heels. 

"  Scatter,"  the  mate  said ;  "  together,  they  are 
sure  to  overtake  us ;  singly,  we  may  escape." 

"  Let  us  keep  together,  Hans,"  Will  said  as  they 
dashed  along  through  the  wild  jungle.  Torn  by 
thorns,  often  thrown  down  by  projecting  roots  and 
low  creepers,  they  kept  on,  their  pace  at  times 
quickening  as  shouts  and  screams  told  them  that 
some  of  their  comrades  had  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  Malays.     Presently  they  came  upon  the  little 


80  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

stream  which  flowed  into  the  sea  close  to  where 
they  had  been  cast  ashore. 

"  Let  us  follow  this  up,"  Will  said  j  "  they  can 
track  us  through  the  forest,  but  the  water  will  set 
them  off  our  scent." 

For  a  quarter  of  a  mile  they  followed  the  course 
of  the  stream,  stopping  breathlessly  many  times  as 
they  heard  voices  in  the  wood  not  far  off.  Pres- 
ently Will  pointed  to  a  tree  rising  from  a  clump  of 
bushes  close  to  the  bank. 

"  Let  us  get  through  those  bushes,"  he  said ;  "  be 
careful,  Hans,  not  to  break  a  twig  as  you  go ;  we 
can  climb  that  tree ;  there  are  plants  with  stems 
like  cords  winding  round  it.  The  top  is  so  thick 
and  bushy  that  I  don't  think  they  can  see  us  there." 

Very  carefully  they  parted  the  bushes  that  over- 
hung the  stream,  and  entered  the  thicket;  then 
they  made  their  way  with  great  difficulty  to  the 
foot  of  the  tree.  It  was  a  very  large  one,  with  a 
trunk  fully  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  rising  some 
forty  feet  without  a  branch,  then  a  number  of  great 
arms  grew  out  at  right  angles ;  these  were  covered 
thickly  with  parasitic  vegetation.  Eound  the  trunk, 
like  a  snake  embracing  its  victim,  a  great  climber 
had  wound  itself ;  its  main  stem  was  as  thick  as  a 
man's  arm,  and  there  were  dozens  of  smaller  cord- 
like climbers.     Thus  the  lads  had  no  difficulty  in 


FOB  NAME  AND  PAMM.  81 

climbing  to  the  point  where  the  branches  grew  out. 
Above  these  was  a  mass  of  foliage  completely 
covered  by  the  climbers,  whose  drooping  sprays  and 
clusters  gave  the  tree  the  appearance  of  a  solid 
mass  of  verdure.  The  boys  continued  to  climb 
until  they  were  nearly  at  the  top  of  the  tree. 

"  There !"  Will  said,  wiping  away  the  perspira- 
tion which  streamed  from  his  face,  "  if  they  do  not 
track  us  through  the  bushes  to  the  very  foot  of  this 
tree,  I  defy  them  to  find  us." 

For  some  hours  the  wood  was  alive  with  noises ; 
the  Malays  were  evidently  beating  every  foot  of  it, 
and  were  determined  that  none  of  their  victims 
should  escape.  Several  times  parties  of  men  came 
up  the  stream  searching  the  banks  on  both  sides  ; 
but,  happily,  even  their  sharp  eyes  did  not  detect 
the  spot  where  the  boys  had  entered  the  bushes, 
and  gradually  the  noises  ceased,  and  at  night  a 
great  glare  by  the  seashore  told  the  lads  that  their 
enemies  had  gathered  again  there,  and  were  con- 
tinuing by  firelight  the  work  of  breaking  open  and 
examining  the  treasures  which  the  sea  had  cast  up 
for  them. 

"What  do  you  zay.  Will?  Zhall  we  get  down 
and  go  f  urder  into  wood,  or  zhall  we  wait  here  ?" 

"  I  think  anyhow  we  had  better  wait  till  to-mor- 
row  night,"  Will  answered.     "  They  may  search 


S2  P'Oit  NAME  AND  FAME. 

again  to-morrow,  and  might  come  upon  our  tracks. 
If  they  don't  find  us  they  may  suppose  that  they 
have  caught  us  all,  or  that  we  have  escaped  right 
into  the  interior.  If  they  find  ho  traces  of  Us  they 
will  likely  enough  set  sail  before  night." 

There  was  no  difiiculty  in  finding  a  place  in 
which  they  could  sleep,  for  the  cord-like  climbers 
from  bough  to  bough  formed  natural  cradles,  in 
which  they  lay  as  securely  as  if  in  a  hammock  on 
board  a  ship.  In  the  morning  they  were  woke  at 
daybreak  by  the  cries  of  the  many  birds  which 
throng  the  forests  of  the  Eastern  Archipelago,  j^o 
one  approached  them  during  the  day,  and  they 
doubted  not  that  the  Malays  were  all  hard  at  work 
on  the  shore. 

That  night  there  was  no  reflection  of  a  fire  on 
the  beach.  In  the  morning  they  descended  from 
their  perches  and  made  their  way  carefully,  and  as 
noiselessly  as  possible,  through  the  wood,  to  a  point 
upon  the  shore  a  mile  distant  from  the  point  where 
they  landed.  Going  to  the  edge  of  the  trees  they 
were  enabled  to  take  a  view  along  the  shore.  It 
was  deserted  ;  the  Malay  j^raAw  was  gone. 

Confident  that  none  of  their  enemies  would  have 
remained  behind,  they  walked  boldly  along  the 
shore  to  the  spot  where  the  Malays  had  landed. 
Every  box  and  barrel  had  been  broken  open,  and 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAMK  83 

the  contents  carried  away  ;  planks  and  beams  had 
been  split  asunder  to  obtain  the  copper  bolts  and 
fastenings.  The  framework  of  the  boat  had  been 
destroyed,  and  every  portion  of  canvas  and  rope 
carried  away.     The  lads  sat  down  on  the  shore. 

"  What  shall  we  do  next,  Hans?" 

Hans  shook  his  head. 

"  Perhaps  some  of  the  others  may  have  got  away 
and  may  join  us  here  to-day  or  to-morrow.  If  any 
are  alive  they  would  be  certain  to  come  back  here 
when  they  thought  the  Malays  had  left." 

Hans  grunted  an  assent. 

"  Anyhow,  the  first  thing  to  do,"  Will  went  on, 
"  is  to  gather  up  the  pieces  of  biscuits  ;  they  have 
wasted  lots  in  breaking  open  the  barrels,  and  I  am 
famishing." 

Hans  rose  with  alacrity,  and  they  soon  were  at 
work  collecting  pieces  of  biscuits. 

"  Let  us  gather  up  all  the  pieces  carefully  ;  there 
are  a  good  lot  altogether,  and  we  may  want  them 
badly,  before  we  have  done." 

In  half  an  hour  they  had  collected  about  thirty 
pounds  of  biscuits,  and  having  gone  to  the  stream 
and  taken  a  drink  they  made  for  the  spot  where 
their  tent  had  stood.  As  they  expected,  they 
found  the  canvas  was  gone.  They  set  to  work 
with  their  knives,  and  cutting  a  number  of  boughs, 


84  ^On  NAME  AND  FAME. 

erected  a  shelter  sufficient  to  shield  them  from  the 
night  air.  All  day  they  hoped,  but  in  vain,  that 
some  of  their  comrades  would  return,  and  listened 
eagerly  to  every  sound  in  the  forest,  but  no  call  or 
footstep  met  their  ears.  They  had  no  means  of 
lighting  a  fire,  the  first  having  been  lit  by  the  mate, 
who,  being  a  smoker,  had  had  a  small  tin-box  of 
matches  in  his  pocket.  This  had  fitted  closely  and 
kept  out  the  water. 

"  "What  had  we  better  do  if  no  one  comes  back  ?" 
Will  said  as  they  sat  in  their  little  hut. 

"Build  anoder  boat,"  Hans  answered. 

"  But  how  are  we  to  do  that,  Hans  ?  "We  might 
make  the  framework,  but  we  have  no  canvas  to 
cover  it  with  ;  besides,  even  if  we  had,  I  have  no 
idea  of  the  direction  of  Singapore,  and  I  doubt  if 
we  could  find  our  way  back  to  Java." 

Hans  had  no  further  suggestions  to  offer. 

"T  suppose  we  could  live  in  the  forest  for  some 
time,"  Will  said.  "  I  read  a  book  called  '  Robinson 
Crusoe,'  and  a  sailor  there  lived  on  a  desert  island 
for  years ;  but  then  he  had  a  gun  and  all  sorts  of 
things.  There  are  plenty  of  birds,  but  even  if  we 
could  make  bows  and  arrows  I  suppose  we  should 
be  months  before  we  could  shoot  straight  enough 
to  hit  them." 

Several  days  passed ;    the  lads  found  plenty  of 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  85 

fruit,  but  the  season  was  advancing,  and  "Will  said 
one  day  to  Hans  : 

"  What  on  eartti  are  we  to  do  when  the  fruit  and 
biscuits  are  all  finished  ?" 

"Wandering  in  the  woods  they  found  the  bodies 
of  the  whole  of  their  companions.  All  were  head- 
less, the  Malays  having  carried  off  these  coveted 
trophies.  They  did  not  attempt  to  bury  the  bodies, 
for  in  such  a  climate  decomposition  sets  in  rapidly, 
and  swarms  of  insects  complete  the  work.  In  the 
grass  near  the  hut  they  found  one  treasure — the 
mate's  ax — which  had  evidently  fallen  from  his  belt 
in  his  flight,  and  had  been  overlooked  by  the  Malays. 

"  I  tell  you  what,  Hans,"  Will  said  one  day> 
"  fruit  is  getting  scarcer  and  scarcer,  and  there  are 
not  more  than  five  or  six  pounds  of  biscuits  left. 
I  vote  that  we  make  through  the  forest  into  the 
interior  of  the  island  ;  there  must  be  some  villages 
scattered  about.  If  we  enter  one  boldly  they  may 
not  kill  us.  I  don't  know  whether  they  have 
any  respect  for  the  laws  of  hospitality  as  some 
savages  have  ;  but  even  if  they  did  kill  us  it's  better 
than  being  starved  to  death  here.  It's  a  chance 
anyhow.     What  do  you  say,  Hans?" 

"  I  don't  say  noding,"  Hans  answered.  "  I  don't 
have  no  obinion  at  all ;  if  you  dink  zat  is  ze  best 
plan  let  us  do  it.'* 


86  ,  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

So  saying  Hans  collected  the  biscuit,  tied  it  up  in 
his  handkerchief,  and  was  ready  to  start  at  once. 

"There  is  no  hurry,  Hans,"  Will  said  laughing  ; 
"  still,  if  we  are  to  make  a  start,  we  may  as  well  go 
at  once." 

Turning  their  backs  upon  the  sea  they  struck 
into  the  wood.  They  had  never  before  gone  further 
than  a  mile  from  the  shore.  After  an  hour's  walk- 
ing they  found  that  the  character  of  the  forest  was 
changing :  the  ground  rose  rapidly,  the  thick  tan- 
gled undergrowth  disappeared,  and  they  were  able 
to  walk  briskly  forward  under  the  shade  of  the 
large  trees.  The  hill  became  steeper  and  steeper 
as  they  advanced,  and  Will  knew  that  they  were 
ascending  the  hill  that  they  had  seen  from  the  ship 
when  she  was  coming  toward  the  shore.  Three 
hours  after  leaving  the  coast  they  were  upon  its 
top.  The  ground  was  rocUy  here,  and  in  some 
places  bare  of  trees.  Inland  they  saw  hill  rising 
behind  hill,  and  knew  that  the  island  must  be  a  large 
one. 

"Look,  Hans,  there  is  smoke  curling  up  at  the 
foot  of  that  hill  over  there  ;  don^t  you  see  it?  It  is 
very  faint,  but  it  is  certainly  smoke.  There  must 
be  a  house  there,  and  most  likely  a  village.  Come 
on,  we  shall  get  there  before  the  sun  sets.  I 
don't  think  it  can  be  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half 
away." 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  87 

Hans  as  usual  assented,  and  in  about  half  an  hour 
they  arrived  at  a  Malay  village. 

The  aspect  was  curious,  each  hut  being  built  in  a 
tree.  At  the  point  where  the  lower  branches  start- 
ed  a  platform  was  made ;  the  tree  above  this  was 
cut  down,  and  on  the  platform  the  hut  was  erected, 
access  being  obtained  to  it  by  a  ladder.  Several  oi 
the  inhabitants  were  walking  about ;  these,  upon 
seeing  the  lads,  uttered  cries  of  w^arning,  and  in- 
stantly flying  to  the  ladders,  which  were  constructed 
of  light  bamboo,  climbed  to  the  huts  and  raised  the 
ladders  after  them.  Then  at  every  door  men  ap- 
peared with  bent  bows  and  pointed  arrows  threat- 
ening the  invaders.  Will  had  cut  a  green  bough, 
and  this  he. waved  as  a  token  of  peace,  while  Hans 
threw  up  his  hands  to  show  that  he  was  unarmed. 
Then  they  bowed  several  times  almost  to  the  ground, 
held  out  their  arms  with  outstretched  hands,  and 
finally  sat  down  upon  the  ground. 

The  Malays  apparently  understood  that  their 
visitors  came  in  peace.  They  held  a  long  conversa- 
tion among  themselves,  and  at  last  the  ladder  of 
one  of  the  huts,  which  appeared  larger  and  better 
finished  than  the  others,  was  lowered  and  four 
men  descended.  One  of  these  carried  a  kriss  in 
his  hand,  his  bow  was  slung  behind  his  back ;  the 
others  kept  their  bows  bent  in  readiness  for  instant 
action. 


88  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  chief  was  a  tall  and  well-built  man  of  about 
forty  years  of  age.  He,  like  his  followers,  was 
dressed  only  in  a  loin-cloth  ;  he  had  copper  bracelet 
round  his  wrists.  As  he  approached,  the  lads  rose 
and  bowed  deeply  ;  then  Will  held  out  to  him  the 
ax,  and  placing  it  in  his  hand  motioned  to  him 
that  it  was  a  present.  The  chief  looked  pleased  at 
the  gift,  placed  his  hands  on  Will's  shoulder  and 
nodded,  and  performed  the  same  gesture  to  Hans ; 
then  he  led  them  toward  his  hut  and  motioned  to 
them  to  sit  down  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

Curious  faces  were  watching  from  every  hut,  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  peace  was  established, 
the  ladders  were  lowered  and  a  swarm  of  men, 
women,  and  children  soon  surrounded  the  visitors. 
At  the  chiefs  order  a  woman  approached  them 
bringing  a  dish  of  food.  This  was  composed,  the 
boys  found,  principally  of  birds  cut  up  and  stewed 
with  some  sort  of  vegetable.  The  dish  was  by  no 
means  bad,  and  after  living  for  nearly  a  fortnight 
upon  biscuit  and  fruit,  they  much  enjoyed  it. 

Presently  women  brought  bundles  of  dried  fern 
and  spread  them"  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  soon 
after  it  was  dark  the  boys  lay  down  upon  them. 
It  was  long,  however,  before  they  went  to  sleep; 
for  the  din  and  chatter  in  the  village  continued  un 
til  far  into  the  night.     The  lads  guessed  that  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  89 

reason  and  manner  of  their  coming  was  warmly 
debated,  and  judged  by  their  reception  that  the 
prevailing  opinions  were  favorable,  and  that  the 
visit  from  the  two  white  men  was  considered  to  be 
a  fortunate  omen. 

The  next  day  they  were  again  amply  supplied 
with  food,  and  were  constantly  surrounded  by  a 
little  group  of  women  and  children  to  whom  their 
white  skins  appeared  a  source  of  constant  wonder. 
Their  movements  were  entirely  unchecked,  and 
they  were  evidently  considered  in  the  light  of  guests 
rather  than  prisoners. 

The  next  night  the  village  retired  to  rest  early. 
The  boys  sat  talking  together  for  a  long  time,  and 
then  lay  down  to  sleep.  Presently  Will  thought 
that  he  heard  a  noise,  and  looking  up  saw  in  the 
moonlight  a  number  of  savages  stealthily  approach- 
ing. They  carried  Avith  them  ladders,  and  intend- 
ed, he  had  no  doubt,  to  surprise  the  sleeping  vil- 
lagers. They  were  already  close  at  hand.  "Will 
shook  Hans,  who  had  already  gone  off  to  sleep,  and 
pointed  out  to  him  the  advancing  foes.  These  were 
already  in  the  village,  and  separating,  fixed  a  ladder 
against  each  of  the  huts.  So  far  the  boys,  who  lay 
in  the  shadow  of  the  hut,  had  not  been  noticed. 
The  Maylays,  w^ho  belonged  to  a  hostile  village,  be- 
gan to  climb  the  ladders,  when  the  lads,  grasping 


90  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  heavy  sticks  which  they  always  carried,  and 
springing  to  their  feet  with  loud  shouts,  ran  to  the 
ladders  before  the  Malays  could  recover  from  their 
astonishment  at  the  approach  of  the  white-faced 
men  rushing  upon  them. 

Half  a  dozen  of  the  ladders  were  upset,  the  men 
who  had  mounted  them  coming  heavily  to  the 
ground.  Some  of  these  as  they  rose  at  once  took 
to  their  heels  ;  others,  drawing  their  krisses,  rushed 
at  their  assailants.  But  the  lads  were  no  longer 
alone.  At  the  first  shout  the  doors  of  the  huts  had 
opened,  and  the  inhabitants  rushed  out  with  their 
arms,  the  remaining  ladders  were  instantly  over- 
thrown, and  a  shower  of  arrows  poured  upon  their 
assailants. 

"Will  and  Hans  knocked  down  the  foremost  of 
their  assailants,  and  the  whole  body,  foiled  in  their 
attempted  surprise,  discomfited  at  the  appearance 
of  the  strange  white-faced  men,  and  exposed  to  the 
arrows  of  the  defenders,  at  once  darted  away,  sev- 
eral of  their  number  having  already  fallen  under 
the  shafts  from  above.  With  exultant  shouts  the 
warriors  of  the  village  poured  down  their  ladders 
from  the  huts  and  took  up  the  pursuit,  and  soon  no 
one  remained  in  the  village  save  the  white  lads  and 
the  women  and  children.  Toward  morning  the 
warriors  returned,  several  of  them  bringing  with 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  91 

them  gcwy  heads,  showing  that  their  pursuit  had  not 
been  in  vain. 

The  village  was  now  the  scene  of  great  rejoic- 
ings ;  huge  fires  were  lighted,  and  a  feast  held  in 
honor  of  the  victory.  The  chief  solemnly  placed 
the  white  men  one  on  each  side  of  him,  and  made 
them  a  speech,  in  which  by  his  bowing  and  placing 
his  hand  on  their  heads,  they  judged  he  was  thank- 
ing them  for  having  preserved  their  village  from 
massacre.  Indeed,  it  was  clear,  from  the  respectful 
manner  of  all  toward  them,  that  they  were  regarded 
in  the  light  of  genii  who  had  come  specially  to  pro- 
tect the  village  from  the  assaults  of  its  enemies. 

After  the  feast  was  over  the  chief,  after  a  consul- 
tation with  the  rest,  pointed  to  a  tree  close  to  that 
in  which  his  own  hut  was  situated.  The  whole  vil- 
lage set  to  work,  ladders  were  fixed  against  it,  and 
the  men  ascending  hacked  away  with  krisses  and 
stone  hatchets  at  the  trunk.  Hans,  seeing  their  ob- 
ject, made  signs  to  the  chief  to  lend  him  his  ax, 
and  ascending  to  the  tree  set  to  w^ork  with  it,  doing 
in  five  minutes  more  work  than  the  whole  of  the 
natives  employed  could  have  accomplished  in  an 
hour.  After  working  for  some  time  he  handed  the 
axe  to  one  of  the  natives,  who  continued  the  work. 

The  tree  was  not  a  large  one,  the  trunk  at  this 
point  being  about  eighteen  inches    in    diameter. 


92  FUR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Half  an  hour's  work  sufficed  to  cut  it  through,  and 
the  upper  part  of  the  tree  fell  with  a  crash.  In  the 
mean  time  the  women  had  brought  in  from  the  for- 
est a  quantity  of  bamboos,  and  with  these  the  men 
set  to  work  and  speedily  formed  a  platform.  Upon 
this  a  hut  was  erected,  the  roof  and  sides  being 
covered  with  palm-leaves  laid  closely  together, 
forming  a  roof  impervious  to  rain.  Two  large 
bundles  of  fern  for  beds  were  then  taken  up,  and 
the  chief  ascending  solemnly  invited  the  boys  to 
come  up  and  take  possession. 

A  woman  was  told  off  to  prepare  food  for  them 
and  attend  to  their  wants,  and  by  nightfall  the  lads 
found  themselves  in  a  comfortable  abode  of  their 
own.  Pulling  up  the  ladder  after  the  manner  of 
the  natives  they  sat  down  to  chat  over  their  altered 
prospects.  They  were  now  clearly  regarded  as 
adopted  into  the  village  community,  and  need  have 
no  further  fear  as  to  their  personal  security  or 
means  of  living. 

"  For  the  time  we  are  safe,"  Will  said ;  "  but  as  I 
don't  want  to  turn  Malay  and  live  all  my  life  with 
no  other  amusement  than  keeping  my  own  head  on 
and  hunting  for  those  of  the  enemies  of  the  village, 
we  must  think  of  making  our  escape  somehow, 
though,  at  present,  I  own  I  don't  see  how." 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME,  93 


CHAPTER  YI. 

THE   ATTACK   ON   THE   VILLAGE. 

A  DAT  or  two  later  a  Malay  ran  at  full  speed  into 
the  village,  and  said  a  few  words  which  caused  a 
perfect  hubbub  of  excitement.  The  men  shouted, 
the  women  screamed,  and,  running  up  the  ladders 
to  their  tree  abodes,  began  gathering  together  the 
various  articles  of  value  in  their  eyes.  The  chief 
came  up  to  the  boys,  and  by  signs  intimated  that  a 
large  number  of  hostile  natives  belonging  to  several 
villages  were  advancing  to  attack  them,  and  that 
they  must  fly  into  the  interior. 

This  was  very  unwelcome  news  for  the  lads. 
Once  removed  further  from  the  sea  the  tribe  might 
not  improbably  take  up  their  abode  there,  as  they 
would  fear  to  return  to  the  neighborhood  of  their 
enemies.  This  would  be  fatal  to  any  chance  of  the 
lads  being  taken  off  by  a  passing  ship. 

After  a  few  words  together  they  determined  to 
oppose  the  movement.  AVill,  in  a  loud  voice  and 
with  threatening  gestures,  intimated  that  he  disap 
proved  of  the  plan,  and  that  he  and  his  companion 


94  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

would  assist  them  in  defending  their  village.  The 
Malays  paused  in  their  preparations.  Their  faith 
in  their  white  visitors  was  very  great,  and  after  a 
few  minutes'  talk  among  themselves  they  intimated 
to  the  boys  that  they  would  obey  their  orders. 
"Will  at  once  signed  to  a  few  men  to  stand  as  guards 
round  the  village  to  warn  them  of  the  approaching 
enemy,  and  then  set  the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the 
population  to  work  cutting  sharp-pointed  poles, 
boughs,  and  thorny  bushes.  With  these  a  circle 
was  made  around  the  trees  upon  which  the  village 
was  built. 

Fortunately  the  hostile  Malays  had  halted  in  the 
forest  two  or  three  miles  away,  intending  to  make 
their  attack  by  night ;  and  as  the  news  of  their 
coming  had  arrived  at  noon,  the  villagers  had, 
before  they  ceased  work  late  in  the  evening,  erected 
a  formidable  hedge  round  the  village.  Some  of  the 
women  had  been  set  to  work  manufacturing:  a 
number  of  torches,  similar  to  those  used  by  them 
for  lighting  their  dwellings,  but  much  larger.  They 
were  formed  of  the  stringy  bark  of  a  tree  dipped  in 
the  resinous  juice  obtained  from  another.  Will  had 
one  of  these  fastened  to  each  of  the  trees  nearest  to 
the  hedge.  They  were  fixed  to  the  trunks  on  the 
outside,  so  that  their  flame  would  throw  a  light  on 
the  whole  circle  beyond  the  hedge,  while  within  all 
would  be  shadow  and  darkness. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  % 

It  was  very  late  before  all  preparations  were  com- 
pleted. Will  then  placed  a  few  men  as  outposts 
some  hundred  yards  in  the  forest,  in  the  direction 
from  which  the  enemy  were  likely  to  approach. 
They  were  ordered  to  give  the  alarm  the  moment 
jthey  heard  a  noise,  and  were  then  to  run  in  and 
enter  the  circle  by  a  small  gap,  which  had  been  left 
in  the  abbatis  for  the  purpose.  Many  of  the  men 
then  took  their  posts,  with  their  bows  and  arrows, 
in  the  trees  near  the  hedge.  The  others  remained 
on  the  ground  ready  to  rush  to  any  point  assailed. 

For  several  hours  no  sound  save  the  calls  of  the 
night  birds  and  the  occasional  distant  howls  of 
beasts  of  prey  were  heard  in  the  forest ;  an  ^  it  was 
not  until  within  an  hour  of  morning — the  hour  gen- 
erally selected  by  Malays  for  an  attack,  as  men 
sleep  at  that  time  the  heaviest — that  a  loud  yell  at 
one  of  the  outposts  told  that  the  enemy  were  close 
at  hand. 

Two  or  three  minutes  later  the  scouts  ran  in,  and 
the  gap  through  which  they  had  entered  was  at 
once  filled  up  with  bushes,  which  had  been  piled 
close  at  hand  for  the  purpose.  Aware  that  their 
approach  was  discovered,  the  enemy  abandoned  all 
further  concealment,  and  advanced  with  wild  yells, 
intending  to  strike  terror  into  the  defenders  of  the 
village.     As  they   advanced  the  torches   were  all 


66  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAMS. 

lighted,  and  as  the  assailants  came  within  theii* 
circle  of  light  a  shower  of  arrows  from  the  Malays 
on  the  ground  and  in  the  trees  above  was  poured 
into  them. 

Yells  and  screams  told  that  the  volley  had  been 
a  successful  one  ;  but,  discharging  their  arrows  in » 
turn,  the  Malaj'^s  with  demoniac  yells  rushed  against 
the  village.  The  advance,  however,  was  arrested 
suddenly  when  they  arrived  at  the  abbatis.  From 
behind  its  shelter  so  deadly  a  rain  of  arrows  was 
poured  in  that  they  soon  shrank  back,  and  bounded 
away  beyond  the  circle  of  light,  while  taunting 
shouts  rose  from  its  defenders. 

For  z  time  they  contented  themselves  by  distant 
shouting,  and  then  with  a  wild  yell  charged  for- 
ward again.  Several  dropped  from  the  fire  of 
arrows  from  those  in  the  trees  and  behind  the 
abbatis  ;  but,  discharging  their  arrows  in  return,  the 
assailants  kept  on  until  they  again  reached  the  im- 
pediment. Here  they  strove  furiously  to  break 
through,  hacking  with  their  krisses  and  endeavoring 
to  pull  up  the  stakes  with  their  hands;  but  the 
defenders  in  the  shade  behind  sent  their  arrows  so 
fast  and  thick  that  the  assailants  again  shrank  back 
and  darted  away  to  shelter. 

Throughout  the  night  there  was  no  renewal  of 
the  attack,  and  in  the  morning  not  a  foe  was  visible. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  97 

Two  or  three  scouts  went  out  to  reconnoiter,  but  no 
sooner  did  they  enter  the  forest  than  one  of  them 
was  shot  down  and  the  rest  sent  flying  back. 

"  I  believe  the  scoundrels  are  going  to  try  to 
starve  us  out,"  Will  said.  "  Let  us  speak  to  the 
chief  and  ask  how  much  provisions  they  have  got." 

After  much  pantomime  Will  succeeded  in  con- 
veying his  meaning  to  the  chief,  and  the  latter  at 
once  ordered  all  the  inhabitants  to  produce  their 
stock  of  food,  This  was  unexpectedly  large,  and 
Will  thought  that  there  was  sufficient  for  a  fort- 
night's consumption.  He  now  made  signs  of  drink- 
ing, but  the  reply  to  this  was  disheartening  in  the 
extreme.  A  few  gourds  full  of  water  were  brought 
forward,  and  two  or  three  of  the  close-woven 
baskets  in  which  water  is  often  carried  in  this 
country :  there  was,  in  fact,  scarce  enough  to  last 
the  defenders  for  a  day. 

The  stream  from  which  the  village  drew  its 
supply  of  water  was  about  a  couple  of  hundred 
yards  away ;  consequently  the  villagers  fetched  up 
their  water  as  they  needed  it,  and  no  one  thought 
of  keeping  a  store.  Will  looked  in  dismay  at  the 
smallness  of  the  supply. 

"If  they  really  intend  to  starve  us  out,  Hans,  we 
are  done  for.  No  doubt  they  reckon  on  our  water 
falling  short.  They  would  know  that  it  was  not 
likely  that  there  would  be  a  supply  here." 


98  fOR  NAME  AND  FAMS. 

The  natives  were  not  slow  to  recognize  the  weak 
point  of  their  defense.  One  or  two  of  the  men, 
taking  water-baskets,  were  about  to  go  to  the 
stream,  but  Will  made  signs  to  the  chief  that  they 
must  not  do  this. 

The  only  hope  was  that  the  enemies  would  draw 
off ;  but  if  they  saw  that  water  was  already  short, 
they  would  be  encouraged  to  continue  to  beleaguer 
the  place.  Will  was  unable  to  explain  his  reasons 
to  the  chief,  but  the  latter,  seeing  how  great  was  the 
advantage  that  they  had  already  gained  by  follow- 
ing the  counsel  of  their  white  visitors  in  the  matter 
of  the  hedge,  acquiesced  at  once  in  their  wishes. 

Will  then  ascended  to  one  of  the  huts,  and  care- 
fully reconnoitered  the  whole  ground.  There  was, 
he  saw,  at  the  end  furthest  from  the  stream  a  slight 
dip  in  the  land  extending  into  the  forest.  Beckon- 
ing the  chief  to  join  him,  he  made  signs  that  at 
night  the  warriors  should  issue  silently  from  the 
village  at  this  point,  and  make  noiselessly  through 
the  wood  ;  they  would  then  take  a  wide  circuit  till 
they  came  upon  the  stream,  and  would  then,  work- 
ing up  it,  fall  upon  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 

The  chief  was  dubious,  but  Will  made  an  impera- 
tive gesture,  and  the  chief  in  a  humble  manner 
agreed  to  do  as  he  was  ordered.  The  day  passed 
slowly,  and  before  nightfall  the  supply  of  water 


POR  NAME  AND  FAME.  99 

was  entirely  finished.  Once  or  twice  scouts  had 
gone  out  to  see  if  the  enemy  were  still  round  the 
village,  but  returned  each  time  with  the  news  that 
they  were  there. 

The  last  time,  just  before  nightfall,  "Will  directed 
two  or  three  of  them  to  take  water-buckets,  and  to 
go  in  the  direction  of  the  stream ;  signing  to  them, 
however,  to  return  the  moment  they  saw  signs  of 
the  enemy.  They  were  soon  back ;  and,  as  Will 
had  expected,  the  sight  of  the  water-buckets  showed 
the  enemy  that  the  garrison  of  the  village  were 
badly  supplied  in  that  respect,  and  taunting  shouts 
arose  from  the  woods  asking  them  why  they  did 
not  go  down  to  drink. 

Will  felt  certain  that  the  Malays  would  now  draw 
the  greater  part  of  their  number  down  to  the  side 
of  the  stream,  and  that  there  would  therefore  be 
the  more  chance  of  the  garrison  making  their  way 
out  at  the  other  end  of  the  village. 

Three  hours  after  it  was  dark  the  chief  mustered 
all  his  men  ;  they  were  about  forty-five  in  all.  Will 
signed  that  each  should  take  with  him  a  water- 
basket  or  large  gourd,  so  that,  in  case  they  failed  in 
defeating  the  enemy  and  breaking  up  the  blockade, 
they  might  at  least  be  able  to  bring  a  supply  of 
water  into  the  village.  Will  then,  with  much  dif- 
ficulty, explained  to  the  chief  that  the  old  men, 


100  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

boys,  and  women  remaining  in  the  village  were,  the 
moment  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  attack  upon 
the  enemy's  rear,  to  shout  and  yell  their  loudest, 
and  to  shoot  arrows  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy. 

A  few  sticks  had  already  been  pulled  up  at  the 
point  of  the  hedge  through  which  Will  intended  to 
make  a  sally,  and  the  band  now  passed  noiselessly 
out.  The  chief  himself  led  the  way,  the  white  boys 
following  behind  him.  Lying  upon  their  stomachs 
they  crawled  noiselessly  along  down  the  little 
depression,  and  in  ten  minutes  were  well  in  the 
wood  without  having  met  with  an  enemy,  although 
they  had  several  times  heard  voices  among  the  trees 
near  them.  They  now  rose  to  their  feet,  and,  mak- 
ing a  wide  detour,  came  down,  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  walk,  upon  the  stream.  Here  the  gourds 
and  baskets  were  filled ;  and  then,  keeping  along  by 
the  water  side,  they  continued  their  march. 

Presently  they  saw  a  number  of  fires,  round 
which  many  Malays  were  sitting.  They  crept 
noiselessly  up  until  within  a  few  yards,  and  then 
with  a  yell  burst  upon  the  enemy.  Numbers  were 
cut  down  at  once,  and  the  rest,  appalled  by  this 
attack  on  their  rear,  and  supposing  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  some  other  village  must  have  arrived  to  the 
assistance  of  those  they  were  besieging,  at  once  fled 
in  all  directions.     Those  remaining  in  the  village 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  101 

had  seconded  the  attack  by  wild  shouts,  so  loud  and 
continuous  that  their  besiegers  had  no  reason  to 
suppose  that  their  number  had  been  weakened. 

For  a  few  minutes  the  pursuit  was  kept  up;  then 
the  chief  recalled  his  followers  with  a  shout.  The 
water-baskets,  many  of  which  had  been  thrown 
down  in  the  attack,  were  refilled,  and  the  party  made 
their  way  up  to  the  village,  where  they  were  re- 
ceived with  shouts  of  triumph. 

The  panic  of  the  Malays  had  been  in  no  slight 
degree  caused  by  the  appearance  of  the  two  boys, 
who  had  purposely  stripped  to  the  waist,  and  had 
shouted  at  the  top  of  their  voices  as,  waving  the 
krisses  which  they  had  borrowed,  they  fell  upon  the 
foe. 

The  idea  that  white  devils  were  leagued  with  the 
enemies  against  them  had  excited  the  superstitious 
fear  of  the  Malays  to  the  utmost,  and  when  in  the 
morning  scouts  again  sallied  from  the  village,  they 
found  that  the  enemy  had  entirely  gone,  the  fact 
that  they  had  not  even  returned  to  carry  off  the 
effects  which  had  been  abandoned  in  the  first  panic 
showing  that  they  had  continued  their  flight, 
without  stopping,  to  their  distant  villages. 

The  chief,  like  an  able  politician,  took  advantage 
of  th^  impression  which  his  white  visitors  had 
created,  and  the  same  day  sent  off  messengers  to 


103  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  villages  which  had  combined  in  the  attack 
against  them,  saying  that  the  white  men,  his  guests, 
were  very  angry  ;  and  that  unless  peace  was  made 
and  a  solemn  promise  given  that  there  should  be  no 
renewal  of  the  late  attempts,  they  were  going  to 
lay  a  dreadful  spell  upon  the  villages.  "Women  and 
children  would  be  seized  by  disease  and  the  right 
arms  of  the  warriors  wither  up. 

This  terrible  threat  carried  consternation  into  the 
Malay  villages.  The  women  burst  into  prolonged 
wailings,  and  the  bravest  of  the  men  trembled.  The 
messenger  said  that  the  white  men  had  consented  to 
abstain  from  using  their  magical  powers  until  the 
following  day,  and  that  the  only  chance  to  propitiate 
them  was  for  deputations  from  the  villages  to  come 
in  early  the  next  morning  with  promises  of  peace 
and  offerings  for  the  offended  white  men. 

It  was  not  for  some  time  afterward  that  the  lads 
learned  enough  of  the  language  to  understand  what 
had  been  done,  but  they  guessed  (from  the  exulta- 
tion of  the  chief  and  the  signs  which  he  made  that 
their  late  enemies  would  shortly  come  in,  in  an  atti- 
tude of  humiliation)  that  he  had  in  some  way  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  a  scare  among  them. 

On  the  following  morning  deputations  consisting 
of  six  warriors,  and  women  bearing  trays  with  fruit, 
birds,   and  other  offerings  arrived  at  the  village. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  103 

The  men  were  unarmed.  At  their  approach  the  chief 
made  signs  to  the  boys  to  take  a  seat  at  the  foot  of 
the  principal  tree ;  and  then,  accompanied  by  his 
leading  warriors,  led  the  deputation  with  much 
ceremony  before  them.  The  women  placed  their 
trays  at  their  feet,  and  the  men  addressed  them  in 
long  speeches  and  with  many  signs  of  submission. 
The  boys  played  their  part  well.  As  soon  as  they 
saw  what  was  required  of  them  they  signified  with 
an  air  of  much  dignity  that  they  accepted  the  offer- 
ings, and  then  went  through  the  ceremony  of 
shaking  hands  solemnly  with  each  of  the  warriors. 
Then  they  made  a  speech,  in  which  with  much 
gesticulation  they  signified  to  the  visitors  that  a 
terrible  fate  would  befall  them  should  they  again 
venture  to  meddle  with  the  village. 

Much  awed  and  impressed  the  Malays  withdrew. 
The  boys  made  a  selection  from  the  baskets  of  fruit 
for  their  own  eating,  and  then  signified  to  the  chief 
that  he  should  divide  the  rest  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  village.  When  this  was  done  the  boys 
ascended  to  their  tree  and  passed  the  day  there 
quietly,  the  village  in  feasting,  singing,  and  re- 
joicing over  their  victory. 

"The  worst  of  all  this  is,"  Will  said  to  Hans, 
"  that  the  more  they  reverence  us,  and  the  more  use- 
ful they  find  us,  the  more  anxious  they  will  be  to 


104  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

keep  us  always  with  them.  However,  there  is  one 
comfort,  we  are  safe  as  long  as  we  choose  to  remain 
here,  and  that  is  more  than  we  could  have  hoped 
-when  we  first  landed  from  the  wreck.  It  is  curious 
that  the  Malays,  who  have  no  hesitation  in  attack- 
ing English  ships  and  murdering  their  crews,  have 
yet  a  sort  of  superstitious  dread  of  us.  But  I  sup- 
pose it  is  something  the  same  way  as  it  was  in  Eng- 
land in  the  days  of  the  persecution  of  old  women  as 
witches:  they  believed  that,  if  left  to  themselves, 
they  could  cast  deadly  spells,  and  yet  they  had  no 
hesitation  in  putting  them  to  death.  I  suppose  that 
it  is  something  of  the  same  feeling  here." 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  105 


CHAPTER  YII. 

TEE   FIGHT   WITH   THE   PRAHUS. 

Very  frequently,  in  the  days  that  followed, 
William  Gale  and  his  friend  Hans  talked  over  the 
possibility  of  effecting  an  escape,  but  the  difficulties 
appeared  almost  invincible.  The  various,  villages 
which,  so  far  as  the  boys  could  understand,  were 
scattered  at  some  distance  apart,  had  little  dealings 
with  each  other,  and  indeed  were  frequently  engaged 
in  feuds.  The  particular  people  with  whom  they 
lived  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  sea. 
They  used — at  least  so  the  boys  understood  by 
their  signs — to  fish  at  one  time ;  but  they  had  been 
robbed  of  their  boats  and  maltreated  by  some  of 
the  cruising  tribes  who  lived  in  villages  on  the 
coast  or  on  creeks  and  rivers. 

The  possibility  of  escape  seemed  small  indeed. 
To  escape  they  must  get  on  board  a  ship,  and  to  do 
this  they  must  first  go  out  to  sea,  and  this  could  only 
be  done  in  a  boat  of  their  own  or  in  one  of  the 
piratical  prahus.     The  latter  course  could  not  be 


106  t'OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

thought  of,  for  the  coast  pirates  were  bloodthirsty 
in  the  extreme ;  and  even  could  they  change  their 
residence  to  one  of  the  sea-side  villages,  and  gain 
the  friendship  of  the  inhabitants,  they  would  be  no 
nearer  to  their  end.  For  as  these  go  out  to  attack 
and  not  to  trade  with  European  ships,  there  would 
be  no  chance  of  escaping  in  that  way. 

Upon  the  other  hand,  they  might  build  a  boat  of 
their  own ;  but  they  considered  it  improbable  that 
the  Malays  would  allow  them  to  depart,  for  they 
evidently  regarded  their  presence  as  a  prodigy,  and 
revered  them  as  having  miraculously  arrived  at  the 
moment  when  a  great  danger  threatened  the  vil- 
lage ;  but,  even  should  they  be  allowed  to  build  a 
boat  and  depart,  they  knew  not  whither  to  go. 
They  knew  nothing  of  navigation,  and  were  ignorant 
of  the  geography  of  the  archipelago,  and  the 
chances  of  their  striking  upon  the  one  or  two  spots 
where  alone  they  could  land  with  safety  were  so 
small  that  it  would  be  madness  to  undertake  the 
voyage. 

For  six  months  they  lived  quietly  in  the  Malay 
village.  The  people  instructed  them  in  the  use  of 
their  blow-guns,  in  which  they  are  wonderfully 
skillful,  being  able  to  bringdown  a  bird  sitting  on  a 
lofty  bough  of  a  tree  with  almost  an  unerring 
accuracy.    They  also  taught  them  to  shoot  with  the 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  107 

bow  and  arrow,  and  they  found  that  the  natives 
used  the  roots  of  various  kinds  of  plants  for  food. 
The  time  did  not  pass  unpleasantly,  and  had  they 
known  that  it  would  last  but  a  few  months  only, 
they  would  have  enjoyed  it  much. 

At  last,  after  much  deliberation,  they  determined 
that  they  would,  as  a  step  toward  escape,  construct 
a  little  boat  under  pretense  of  wanting  to  fish.  Ac- 
cordingly, one  day  when  out  with  the  chief  and  two 
or  three  of  his  men  in  the  direction  of  the  sea,  they 
pointed  there  and  signified  that  they  wished  to  go 
there,  for  they  had  picked  up  a  good  many  Malay 
words.  The  chief  shook  his  head,  but  they  insisted 
in  such  an  authoritative  manner  that  he  gave  way 
and  followed  them. 

When  they  reached  the  shore  they  made  signs 
that  they  wanted  to  construct  a  boat.  Again  the 
chief  shook  his  head  vehemently,  and  enforced  his 
meaning  by  pointing  along  shore  and  going  through 
the  action  first  of  rowing,  then  of  fighting,  inti- 
mating that  they  would  certainly  be  killed,  if  they 
ventured  out,  by  the  fierce  coast  tribes.  The  boys 
nodded  to  show  that  they  understood  what  he  wished 
to  say  ;  but  pointing  to  the  water  a  few  yards  from 
shore,  went  through  the  action  of  fishing ;  then,  bur- 
dening themselves  with  imaginary  fish,  they  point- 
ed to  the  village  and  showed  that  they  would  supply 
it  with  food. 


108  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  Malaj^s  talked  for  some  time  among  them- 
selves. They  had  so  vast  a  respect  for  the  white 
men  that  they  did  not  like  to  thwart  their  wishes. 
The  thought  too  of  a  supply  of  fish,  of  which  they 
had  long  been  deprived  owing  to  their  feuds  with 
some  of  the  coast  villages,  also  operated  strongly 
in  favor  of  their  yielding  an  assent;  and  at  last  the 
chief  made  signs  that  he  agreed,  and  pointing  to 
the  village  intimated  that  assistance  should  be  given, 
in  building  a  boat. 

The  next  day,  accordingly,  ten  or  twelve  men 
came  down  to  the  shore  with  them.  A  tree  was 
felled,  the  ends  were  pointed,  and  the  whole  formed 
roughly  into  the  shape  of  a  canoe ;  fires  were  lighted 
on  the  top,  and  by  dint  of  flame  and  ax  a  hollow 
was  dug  out.  The  operation  lasted  three  days,  the 
men  having  brought  provisions  with  them  so  as  to 
avoid  making  the  journey — two  and  a  half  hours 
long — to  and  from  the  village  each  day.  The  boat 
when  finished  was  but  a  rough  construction,  and 
would  have  excited  the  mockery  of  any  of  the  coast 
villagers,  as  they  are  expert  boat-builders ;  still,  it 
was  amply  sufficient  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  intended,  namely,  for  fishing  inside  the  line  of 
reefs. 

It  was  heav}'^  and  paddled  slowly,  and  the  lads  had 
Vk  strong  suspipion  that  the  Malays  had  purposely 


FOR  J^AME  AtTL  PA  MR  iO§ 

made  it  more  clumsy  and  iinsea worthy  than  need  be 
in  order  that  they  should  have  no  temptation  to  at- 
tempt a  distant  journey  in  it.  There  was  no  diffi- 
culty about  lines,  the  Malays  being  skilled  in  mak- 
ing string  and  ropes  from  the  fibers  of  trees.  The 
hooks  were  more  diflBcult ;  but,  upon  searching  very 
carefully  along  the  shore,  the  lads  found  some  frag- 
ments of  one  of  the  ship  boats,  and  in  these  were 
several  copper  nails,  which,  hammered  and  bent, 
would  serve  their  purpose  well.  The  lines  were 
ready  on  the  day  the  canoe  was  finished,  and  as  soon 
as  she  was  launched  the  chief  and  one  of  the  Malays 
and  the  boys  took  their  seats  in  her. 

The  natives  paddled  her  out  nearly  to  the  edge  of 
the  reef ;  four  lines,  baited  with  pieces  of  raw  birds 
flesh,  were  thrown  overboard.  A  few  minutes 
passed  rather  anxiously  for  the  lads,  who  were  most 
desirous  that  the  fishing  should  be  successful  so  as 
to  afford  them  an  excuse  for  frequently  pursuing  it. 
Then  there  was  a  bite,  and  Hans,  who  held  the 
line,  found  that  it  taxed  his  strength  to  haul  in  the 
fish  which  tugged  and  strained  upon  it.  When  it 
was  got  into  the  boat  it  proved  to  be  some  fourteen 
pounds  in  weight.  By  this  time  two  of  the  other 
baits  had  been  taken,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  they 
had  caught  upward  of  thirty  fish,  most  of  them  of 
considerable  size. 


110  FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME. 

The  natives  were  delighted ;  and,  paddling  to 
shore,  the  burden  was  distributed  among  the  whole 
party,  with  the  exception  of  the  chief  and  the  two 
whites.  Before  starting,  a  young  tree  was  cut 
down  and  chopped  into  lengths  of  a  few  feet  each, 
and  on  these  rollers  the  canoe  was  hauled  high  up 
the  beach.  Then  the  party  set  out  for  the  village, 
where  their  arrival  with  so  large  a  supply  of  food 
occasioned  great  rejoicing. 

After  this  the  boys  went  down  regularly  every 
day  to  fish.  At  first  three  or  four  of  the  natives 
accompanied  them,  under  pretense  of  carrying  back 
the  fish,  but  really,  as  they  thought,  to  keep  a 
watch  over  them.  To  lessen  their  hosts'  suspicions, 
sometimes  one  or  other  stayed  in  the  village.  As 
time  went  on  the  suspicion  of  the  Malays  abated. 
The  number  of  the  guard  was  lessened,  and  finally, 
as  the  men  disliked  so  long  a  tramp,  some  of  the 
boys  were  told  off  to  accompany  the  white  men 
and  assist  in  bringing  back  their  fish.  They  were 
in  the  habit  of  starting  soon  after  daybreak,  and  of 
not  returning  till  late  in  the  evening,  accounting  for 
their  long  absence  by  pointing  to  the  sun. 

The  fishing  was  always  performed  immediately 
they  reached  the  coast.  When  they  had  caught  as 
many  as  they  and  the  boys  could  carry,  these  were 
placed   in  a  large  covered   basket,  which  was  sunk 


FOk  NAME  AND  FAME .  Ill 

in  the  water  close  to  the  shore  to  keep  the  fish  in 
good  condition  until  they  started.  Then  they  would 
paddle  about  within  the  reef ;  or,  during  the  ex- 
treme heat  of  the  day,  lie  in  the  boat,  shaded  by 
bunches  of  palm  leaves. 

The  Malay  boys,  who  were  set  on  shore  after  the 
fishing,  were  left  alone,  and  amused  themselves  by 
bathing,  or  passed  the  time  asleep  under  the  trees. 

After  the  first  day  or  two  it  had  struck  the  boys 
that  it  was  dangerous  to  leave  the  canoe  high  on 
the  sand,  as  it  would  be  observed  even  at  a  distance 
by  a  passing  prahu.  Consequently,  a  deep  trench 
had  been  dug  from  the  sea,  far  enough  up  to  allow 
the  canoe,  when  floating  in  it,  to  lie  below  the  level 
of  the  beach.  Before  leaving  her  she  was  each  day 
roughly  covered  with  seaweed,  and  might  therefore 
escape  observation  by  any  craft  passing  at  a  short 
distance  from  the  shore. 

In  their  expeditions  along  the  reef  the  boys  dis- 
covered a  passage  through  it.  It  was  of  about 
double  the  width  of  a  ship,  and  of  amply  sufiicient 
depth  to  allow  a  vessel  of  any  size  to  cross.  At  all 
other  points,  for  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  two  either 
way,  which  was  the  extent  of  their  excursions,  the 
reef  came  very  near  to  the  surface,  its  jagged  points 
for  the  most  part  showing  above  it. 

Several  months  passed,  and  still  no  sail  which 


113  POR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

promised  a  hope  of  deliverance  had  shown  over  the 
surface  of  the  sea.  Scarce  a  day  passed  without 
their  seeing  the  Malay  prahus  passing  up  and  down 
the  coast,  but  these  always  kept  some  distan.ce  out, 
and  caused  no  uneasiness  to  the  fishermen.  They 
had  during  this  time  completed  the  hollowing  out 
of  the  boat,  until  her  sides  were  extremely  thin, 
and  she  w^as  so  light  that  she  could  be  paddled  at  a 
high  rate  of  speed. 

They  were  both  now  expert  with  the  paddle,  and 
felt  that  if  in  a  light  wind  a  vessel  should  be  seen 
off  the  coast,  they  would  be  enabled  to  row  out  and 
reach  her.  It  might  be,  they  knew,  months  or  even 
years  before  such  a  ship  would  be  seen.  Still,  as 
there  were  many  vessels  trading  among  the  islands, 
at  any  moment  an  occurrence  might  arise. 

One  afternoon  they  had  been  dozing  under  their 
leafy  shade,  when  Will,  who  first  awoke,  sat  up  and 
uttered  a  cry.  Almost  abreast  of  them,  and  but  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  outside  the  reef,  was  a  large  brig. 
The  wind  was  light,  and  with  every  stitch  of  canvas 
set  she  was  making  but  slow  progress  through  the 
water. 

Hans  leaped  up,  echoed  the  cry,  and,  seizing  their 
paddles,  they  rowed  with  all  their  strength  away 
to  the  opening  through  the  reef,  passed  through, 
and  headed  for  the  ship.     They  now  saw  what  they 


POR  FAME  AJStn  PaMB.  113 

had  not  at  fit*st  observed.  At  a  distance  of  some 
three  miles  astern  were  five  large  prahus  with  their 
sails  set,  and  the  banks  of  oars  rising  and  falling 
rapidly.  The  brig  was  chased  by  the  pirates.  The 
boys  rested  on  their  paddles  for  a  moment. 

"  They  are  more  than  a  match  for  her,  I  am 
afraid,"  Will  said.  "  What  do  you  say,  Hans,  shall 
we  go  on  or  not  ?" 

Hans  made  no  reply.  He  was  never  quick  at 
coming  to  a  decision. 

"  We  had  better  go,"  Will  went  on.  "  We  can 
see  whether  they  mean  to  fight  or  not." 

The  boys  were  naked  to  the  waist,  for  the  thorns 
of  the  forest  had  long  since  torn  in  pieces  the  shirts 
which  they  had  on  when  they  landed  from  the 
wreck,  and  their  skins  were  bronzed  to  a  deep 
copper  color.  Still  they  differed  in  hue  from  the 
natives  of  the  island,  and  the  men  on  board  the  brig 
regarded  them  with  some  surprise  as  they  ap- 
proached it. 

"  Throw  us  a  rope !"  Will  shouted  as  they  neared 
her. 

There  was  a  cry  of  surprise  from  the  crew  at 
being  addressed  in  English,  but  a  rope  was  thrown 
and  the  boys  sprang  on  board.  They  saw  at  once 
the  ship  was  an  English  one. 

"  Halloo !  where  do  you  spring  from  V  asked  the 
captain. 


114  FOR  ifAME  AND  FAME. 

"We  were  shipwrecked  here  ten  months  ago," 
Will  said,  "  and  have  been  living  with  the  natives." 

"  At  any  other  time  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
see  you,"  the  captain  said  ;  "  but  just  at  present,  if 
you  will  take  my  advice,  you  will  get  into  your 
canoe  and  row  on  shore  again.  As  you  see,"  and 
he  pointed  to  the  prahus,  "  we  are  chased  ;  and  al- 
though I  mean  to  fight  to  the  last,  for  there  is  no 
mercy  to  be  expected  from  these  bloodthirsty 
scoundrels,  I  fear  the  chances  are  small." 

Will  looked  round  and  saw  that  the  six  cannon 
which  the  brig  carried — for  vessels  trading  in  the 
Eastern  Archipelago  are  always  armed — had  al- 
ready been  loosened  ready  for  action,  and  that  a 
group  of  men  were  at  work  mounting  a  long  gun 
which  had  just  been  raised  from  the  hold.  Know- 
ing the  number  of  men  that  the  prahus  carried,  Will 
felt  that  the  chance  of  a  successful  resistance  was 
slight. 

There  were  about  eighteen  men  on  deck,  a  num- 
ber larger  than  the  brig  would  carry  in  other 
seas,  but  necessary  in  so  dangerous  a  trading  ground 
as  this.  The  prahus,  however,  would  each  carry 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  men,  and  these  attack- 
ing at  once  from  opposite  sides  would  be  likely  to 
bear  down  all  opposition.  Suddenly  an  idea  oc- 
curred to  him. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME.  115 

"  Look,  sir,  there  is  a  passage  through  the  reef 
there,  with  plenty  of  water  and  width  enough  for 
your  ship.  I  can  take  her  through.  There  is  no 
other  passage  for  some  distance.  If  you  take  her 
inside  and  lay  her  across  the  channel  the  prahus 
can  only  attack  on  one  side,  and  you  can  place  all 
your  guns  and  strength  there." 

The  captain  at  once  saw  the  advantage  of  this 
scheme. 

"  Capital !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Take  the  helm  at 
once,  my  lad.     Ease  off  the  sheets,  men." 

They  were  now  nearly  opposite  the  entrance,  and 
the  light  wind  was  blowing  toward  the  shore.  The 
captain  ordered  all  hands  to  reduce  sail,  only  keep- 
ing on  enough  to  give  the  vessel  steerage-way. 
Two  boats  were  lowered  and  an  anchor  and  cable 
passed  into  each,  and  as  the  brig  passed  through  the 
opening  the  rest  of  the  sail  was  lowered. 

The  boats  rowed  to  the  reef,  one  on  either  side. 
The  anchors  were  firmly  fixed  into  the  rock,  and 
one  being  taken  from  the  head  and  the  other  from 
the  stern,  the  crews  set  to  work  at  the  capstan  and 
speedily  had  the  vessel  safel}'  moored,  broadside  on, 
across  the  entrance  to  the  reef. 

The  Malay  boats  were  now  about  a  mile  astern. 
They  had  ceased  rowing  when  they  saw  the  vessel 
'headed  for  the  land,  supposing  that  the  captain  was 


lie  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

about  to  run  on  shore.  When,  to  their  astonish- 
ment, they  saw  her  pass  the  reef  with  safety,  they 
again  set  to  at  their  work.  The  guns  were  now  all 
brought  over  to  the  side  facing  the  entrance  and 
were  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  bullets.  A  number 
of  shots  belonging  to  the  long  gun  were  placed  by 
the  bulwarks  in  readiness  to  hurl  down  into  the 
prahus  should  they  get  alongside. 

The  sailors,  though  determined  to  fight  till  the 
last,  had,  when  the  boys  came  on  board,  been  mak- 
ing their  preparations  with  the  silence  of  despair. 
They  were  now  in  high  spirits,  for  they  felt  that 
they  could  beat  off  an}'^  attempt  of  the  enemy  to  at- 
tack them.  When  the  Malays  were  abreast  of  the 
ship  they  ceased  rowing  and  drew  close  together, 
and  evidently  held  a  consultation. 

The  brig  at  once  opened  tire  with  her  long  gun, 
and  the  first  shot  hulled  one  of  the  prahus  close  to 
the  water's  edge. 

"That's  right,  Tom,"  the  captain  said,  "stick  to 
the  same  craft :  if  you  can  sink  her  there  is  one  the 
less." 

Sevj^ral  more  shots  were  fired,  with  such  effect 
that  the  Malays  were  observed  jumping  overboard 
in  great  numbers  and  swimming  toward  the  other 
boats,  their  own  being  in  a  sinking  condition.  The 
other    four   prahus    at   once    turned    their  heads 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  117 

toward  shore,  and  rowed  with  full  speed  toward  the 
ship. 

They  knew  that  the  entrance,  of  whose  existence 
they  had  been  previously  unaware,  was  an  exceed- 
ingly narrow  one;  and,  as  they  neared  the  shore, 
could  see  by  the  line  of  breaking  surf  that  it  could 
at  most  be  wide  enough  for  one  to  pass  at  a  time. 
Accordingly,  one  drew  ahead,  and  discharging  the 
cannon  which  it  carried  in  its  bow,  rowed  at  full 
speed  for  the  entrance,  another  following  so  close 
behind  that  its  bow  almost  touched  the  stern. 

"  Train  the  guns  to  bear  on  the  center  of  the 
channel,"  the  captain  said ;  "  let  the  three  bow 
guns  take  the  first  boat,  the  other  three  the 
second.  Do  you,  Tom,  work  away  at  the  two 
behind." 

The  prahus  came  along  at  a  great  rate,  the  sweeps 
churning  up  the  water  into  foam.  The  leading 
boat  dashed  through  the  channel,  the  sweeps  grat- 
ing on  the  rocks  on  either  side ;  her  bow  was  but 
two  yards  distant  from  the  side  of  the  ship  when  the 
captain  gave  the  word.  The  three  cannon  poured 
their  contents  into  her,  sweeping  her  crowded  decks 
and  tearing  out  her  bottom.  Great  as  was  her 
speed,  she  sank  below  the  water  just  as  her  bow 
touched  the  side  of  the  ship.  Ten  seconds  later  the 
qoramand  was  again  given,  and  a  broadside  as  de- 


118  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

structive  was  poured  into  the  second  boat.  The 
damage  done  was  somewhat  less,  and  her  bow 
reached  the  side  of  the  ship. 

A  dozen  Malays  sprang  on  board  as  their  boat 
sank  under  their  feet ;  but  the  sailors  were  ready, 
and  with  musket,  pistol,  and  cutlass  fell  upon  them, 
and  either  cut  down  or  drove  them  overboard.  The 
sea  around  was  covered  with  swimmers,  but  the 
ship  was  too  high  o\\t  of  the  water  for  them  to 
attempt  to  board  her,  and  the  Malays  at  once 
struck  out  for  the  shore,  the  sailors  keeping  up  the 
musketry  fire  upon  them  until  out  of  range.  The 
other  two  boats  had  not  followed :  the  mate  had 
plumped  a  shot  from  the  long  gun  full  into  the  bow 
of  the  first ;  and,  seeing  the  destruction  which  had 
fallen  upon  their  leaders,  both  turned  their  heads 
and  made  for  sea,  the  mate  continuing  his  lire  until 
they  were  out  of  range,  one  shot  carrying  away  the 
greater  part  of  the  oars  on  one  side  of  the  boat  pre- 
viously struck. 

When  at  a  distance  of  upward  of  a  mile  they 
ceased  rowing  and  for  some  time  lay  close  together. 
The  men  of  the  injured  boat  were  observed  to  be 
stopping  the  yawning  hole  in  her  bows  a  few  inches 
above  the  water  level ;  the  other  started  off  at  full 
speed  up  the  coast.  It  was  now  evening,  and  there 
was  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind.     The  men  crowded 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  119 

round  the  lads  and  thanked  them  warmly  for  having 
been  the  means  of  saving  them  from  destruction. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  not  out  of  danger  yet," 
Will  said  as  the  captain  shook  him  by  the  hand. 
"  No  doubt  that  boat  has  gone  off  with  the  news, 
and  before  morning  you  will  have  half  a  dozen  fresh 
enemies  coming  down  inside  the  reef  to  attack 
you." 

"If  we  had  but  a  breath  of, wind  we  might  do," 
the  captain  said. 

"  I  fear  you  will  have  none  before  morning ;  then 
it  generally  blows  fresh  for  two  or  three  hours.  I 
don't  know  how  far  it  is  to  the  village  which  is  the 
pirates'  headquarters.  As  far  as  I  could  make  out 
from  the  Malays  with  whom  we  have  been  living  it 
is  about  six  hours'  walking,  but  the  boats  will  rovsr 
twice  as  fast  as  a  man  would  walk  through  the 
forest.  In  that  case  you  may  be  attacked  at  two 
or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  you  won't  get 
the  breeze  till  after  sunrise." 

"  Are  there  any  other  channels  through  the  reef  ?" 
the  captain  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  Will  replied.  "  We  have  never 
explored  it  very  far  either  way ;  but  as  I  should 
think  from  the  action  of  the  Malays_that  they  did 
not  know  of  this,  they  might  not  know  of  any  other 
did  it  exist.'* 


120  V'OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  Then,"  the  captain  said,  "  I  will  warp  the  brig 
out  through  the  channel  again,  and  anchor  her, 
stem  and  stern,  across  it  outside.  They  will  find  it 
as  hard  to  attack  us  there  as  they  did  before.  Then,, 
when  the  breeze  comes,  we  will  slip  our  cable  and 
run  for  it.  She  is  a  fast  sailer,  and  can,  I  think,  get 
away  from  the  pirates  even  with  their  sails  and 
oars ;  besides,  by  shifting  the  long  gun  and  two  of 
the  others  to  her  stern  we  can  give  it  them  so  hot 
that  even  if  they  are  the  fastest  we  may  sicken 
them;" 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir,"  Will  said.  "  They  would 
be  likely  to  hang  about  you  until  the  breeze  drops, 
and  then  to  attack  you  on  all  sides  at  once.  If  we 
could  but  keep  them  from  coming  through  the 
channel  in  pursuit  we  should  be  safe." 

"  Ah !  but  how  on  earth  are  we  to  do  that  ?"  the 
captain  asked. 

William  Gale  was  silent  for  a  minute  or  two. 

*'  Have  you  plenty  of  powder  on  board  the  ship, 
sir  r 

"  Plenty — we  use  it  for  barter." 

"  It  seems  to  me  " — "Will  went  on — "  that  if,  be- 
fore sailing,  you  could  sink  a  couple  of  barrels  of 
powder  in  the  channel,  with  a  fuse  to  explode  them 
a  few  minutes  after  we  had  left,  the  Malaj^s  would 
be  so  astonished  at  the  explosion  that  they  would 
not  venture  to  pass  through." 


FOR  NA  ¥E  AND  FAME.  121 

"Your  idea  is  a  capital  one,"  the  captain  said 
warmly ;  "  but  how  about  a  fuse  which  would  burn 
underwater?  What  do  you  think,  Tom  ;  could  it 
be  managed  ?" 

"I  should  think  so,  sir,"  the  ma|;e  answered. 
"  Suppose  we  take  one  of  those  empty  thirty -gallon 
beer  casks,  and  fill  that  up  with  powder-  it  will 
hold  ten  or  twelve  of  the  little  barrels ;  and  then  we 
might  bung  it  up  and  make  a  hole  in  its  head. 
Over  the  hole  we  might  fix  a  wine-bottle  with  the 
bottom  knocked  out,  and  so  fastened  with  tow  and 
oakum  that  the  water  won't  get  in.  Then  we  might 
shove  down,  through  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  and 
through  the  hole  below  it  into  the  powder,  a  long 
strip  of  paper  dipped  in  saltpeter  to  make  touch- 
paper  of  it.  I  don't  know  as  a  regular  fuse  would 
do,  as  it  might  go  out  for  want  of  air ;  but  there 
would  be  plenty  to  keep  touch-paper  alight.  We 
could  sling  three  or  four  eighteen-pounder  shots 
under  the  bottom  of  the  cask  to  make  it  sink 
upright.  Just  before  we  slip  our  cables,  we  might 
lower  it  down  with  the  boats,  lighting  the  fuse  the 
last  thing,  and  sticking  in  the  cork.  If  we  don't 
put  too  much  saltpeter  it  might  burn  for  some 
minutes  before  it  reached  the  powder." 

"  It's  worth  trying,  at  any  rate,"  the  captain  said, 
"  but  I  fear  it  would  not  burn  long  enough.    I  think 


122  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

that,  instead  of  a  bottle,  we  might  jam  a  piece  of 
iron  tube,  six  or  eight  feet  long,  into  the  head  of 
the  cask,  and  cut  a  bung  to  fit  it.  In  that  way  we 
could  get  a  good  length  of  fuse." 

This  plan  was  carried  out.  A  large  cask  was 
filled  with  powder,  and  an  iron  tube  three  inches  in 
diameter  and  six  feet  long  fitted  into  it,  and  made 
water-tight.  A  long  strip  of  paper,  after  being 
dipped  in  water  in  which  gunpowder  had  been 
dissolved,  was  then  dried,  rolled. tight,  and  lowered 
down  the  tube  until  it  touched  the  powder.  A 
bung  was  cut  to  fit  the  top  of  the  tube,  a  piece  of 
wash-leather  being  placed  over  it  to  insure  its  being 
perfectly  water-tight ;  the  top  of  the  fuse  was  then 
cut  level  with  the  pipe.  Several  bits  of  iron  were 
lashed  to  the  lower  end  of  the  cask  to  make  it  sink 
upright,  and  the  cask  was  steadily  lowered  into  a 
boat  lying  alongside  the  ship,  in  readiness  for  use. 

The  sailors  entered  into  the  preparations  with  the 
glee  of  schoolboys,  but  the  machine  was  not  ready 
until  long  after  the  ship  had  been  towed  out  again 
through  the  channel,  and  moored  broadside  to  it 
just  outside. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  123 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  TORPEDO. 


It  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
the  watch  awoke  the  crew  with  the  news  that  they 
could  hear  the  distant  sound  of  oars  coming  along 
the  shore.  All  took  their  places  in  silence.  After 
a  time  the  rowing  ceased  and  all  was  quiet  again. 
Half  an  hour  passed  and  then  there  was  a  slight 
sound  close  alongside,  and  in  the  channel  they  could 
dimly  make  out  a  small  boat  which  was  rapidly 
rowed  away  into  the  darkness  again  ;  several  mus- 
ket-shots being  fired  after  it. 

"  They  have  sent  on  ahead  to  find  if  we  were 
lying  in  the  same  berth,"  the  captain  said.  "  I  ex- 
pect they  will  be  puzzled  when  they  hear  that  we 
are  outside  and  that  the  entrance  is  guarded.  I 
should  not  be  surprised  if  they  did  not  attack  be- 
fore morning.  They  had  such  a  lesson  yesterday 
that  I  don't  think  they  will  try  to  force  the  channel 
in  our  teeth  again  ;  but  will  play  the  waiting  game, 
sure  that  they  will  secure  us  sooner  or  later." 

So  it  turned  out.     The  hours  passed  slowly  on, 


124  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

but  no  sound  was  heard.  Then  in  the  dim  morning 
light  a  pirate  fleet  of  eight  prahus  was  seen  lying  at 
a  distance  of  half  a  mile  within  the  reef.  As  the 
day  broke,  the  breeze  sprang  up,  the  sails  were 
hoisted,  and  the  captain  prepared  to  slip  his  cables. 
A  similar  preparation  could,  through  the  glasses,  be 
observed  on  board  the  Malay  fleet. 

"  That  will  do  very  well,"  the  captain  said. 
"  Those  fellows  will  be  along  in  about  eight  or  ten 
minutes  after  we  have  started,  and  the  fuse,  accord- 
ing to  the  experiments  we  made  as  to  its  rate  of 
burning,  will  last  about  seven.  Now,  quick,  lads, 
into  the  boat.  Tom,  you  take  charge  of  the  sink- 
ing." 

In  another  minute  the  boat  was  rowed  to  the 
channel  and  the  cask  lowered  over  the  side.  It  was 
held  there  for  a  minute  while  the  mate  struck  a 
light  and  applied  it  to  the  touch-paper.  Then  he 
pressed  the  bung  firmly  into  the  top  of  the  tube, 
the  lashings  of  the  cask  were  cut,  and  the  boat 
rowed  back  to  the  ship.  The  anchors  were  already 
on  board,  and  the  brig  was  getting  way  on  her  as 
the  boat  rowed  alongside.  The  men  jumped  en 
board  and  the  boat  was  suffered  to  tow  behind, 
while  all  hands  set  the  whole  of  the  sails.  The 
vessel  was  soon  running  briskly  before  the  land- 
breeze. 


tY)n  ITAME  AND  FAME.  125 

The  pirate  fleet  was  instantly  in  motion.  Every 
eye  in  the  ship  was  directed  toward  them. 

"  They  will  be  there  in  less  than  ten  minutes  from 
the  moment  I  lowered  the  cask,"  the  mate  said, 
looking  at  his  watch. 

"  Not  much,"  the  captain  said ;  "  they  are  rowing 
fast  now,  but  the  trees  keep  off  the  wind  and  their 
sails  do  not  help  them.  They  were  a  minute  or  two 
behind  us  in  starting." 

It  was  just  eight  minutes  from  the  time  when  the 
cask  had  been  lowered,  that  the  first  of  the  Malay 
boats  rowed  out  through  the  channel. 

"  I  hope  nothing  has  gone  wrong,"  the  mate 
growled. 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  that,  though  we  may  be 
wrong  a  minute  or  two  as  to  the  length  of  the 
fuse." 

Another  boat  followed  the  first ;  the  third  was  in 
mid-channel,  when  suddenly  she  seemed  to  rise  bodily 
in  the  air,  and  then  to  fall  into  pieces.  A  mighty 
column  of  water,  a  hundred  feet  high,  rose  into  the 
air,  mingled  with  fragments  of  wood  and  human 
bodies.  A  deep,  low  report  was  heard,  and  the 
brig  shook  as  if  she  had  come  into  collision  with 
some  floating  body. 

Although  they  were  nearly  a  mile  away,  the  yell 
of  astonishment  and  fright  of  the  Malays  reached 


126  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  ship.  The  prahus  still  inside  the  reef  wereseett 
to  turn  round  and  row  away  along  the  coast  at  the 
top  of  their  speed ;  while  those  which  had  passed 
the  channel,  after  rowing  wildly  for  some  distance, 
lay  on  their  oars,  the  crews  apparently"  stupefied  at 
what  had  taken  place.  The  craft  which  had  been 
injured  the  day  before  still  lay  seaward  on  watch, 
but  now  turned  her  head  and  rowed  toward  the 
shore  to  join  her  consorts. 

The  Sea  Belle  left  the  coast.  The  Malays 
attempted  no  pursuit,  but,  so  long  as  they  could  be 
seen,  remained  inactive  near  the  scene  of  the  sudden 
and,  to  them,  inexplicable  catastrophe  which  had  be- 
fallen their  consort.  Once  fairly  freed  from  all  fear 
of  pursuit,  the  captain  invited  the  two  lads  into  his 
cabin,  and  there  heard  from  them  an  account  of  all 
the  adventures  through  which  they  had  passed. 
"When  they  had  finished  he  questioned  them  as  to 
their  plans.  Hans  said  that  he  intended  to  take  the 
first  ship  bound  for  Holland. 

"  And  you  ?"  he  asked  Will. 

"  I  have  no  particular  plan,"  Will  said.  "  I  am 
in  no  hurry  to  return  to  England,  having  no  rela- 
tives there.  After  being  so  long  absent — for  it  is 
now  a  year  since  I  sailed  from  Yarmouth — I  should 
not  care  to  "return  and  take  up  my  apprenticeship 
as  a  fisherman." 


VOR  NAMW  AND  PAME.  l2? 

"Will  you  ship  regularly  on  board  the  Sea 
Belle  ?"  the  captain  asked. 

"Thank  you,  sir,  I  think  I  would  rather  not 
decide  upon  anything  until  we  get  to  Calcutta.  I 
have  £30  in  money,  £15  of  which  were  given  me  on 
board  the  Dutch  ship,  and  the  rest  I  received  as 
wages  for  the  voyage  from  England  to  Java.  I 
carried  the  money  in  a  belt  round  ray  waist,  and 
have  kept  it  ever  since.  So  I  need  not  be  in  any 
great  hurry  to  settle  upon  what  I  shall  do;  but 
certainly,  after  a  regular  sea  life,  I  should  not  like 
to  go  back  to  being  a  fisherman.  I  am  now  past 
sixteen,  and  in  another  three  years  shall  be  able  to 
earn  more  wages." 

"  I  should  have  taken  you  for  at  least  two  years 
older,"  the  captain  said  ;  "  you  are  as  big  and  strong 
as  many  lads  of  eighteen." 

"  I  have  done  a  good  lot  of  hard  work  in  the  last 
two  years,"  Will  said ;  "  for  on  board  the  Dutch 
ship,  although,  of  course,  I  was  only  rated  as  a  boy, 
I  used  to  do  man's  work  aloft." 

Other  people  would  have  been  deceived  as  well  as 
the  captain.  Hard  work  and  exposure  to  the  air 
had  done  much  to  age  the  boy.  He  had  been  tall 
and  slight  for  his  age  when  he  left  the  workhouse, 
and  while  he  had  not  ceased  growing  in  height,  he 
had  widened  out  considerably ;  and  had  he  asserted 


128  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

himself  to  be  eighteen  years  of  age,  few  would  have 
questioned  the  statement. 

The  Sea  Belle  for  some  time  kept  south,  touching 
at  some  of  the  islands  where  a  trade  was  done  with 
the  Papuans;  then  her  head  was  turned  north,  and 
after  an  eventful  voyage  she  reached  Calcutta, 
where  the  captain  had  been  ordered  to  fill  up  with 
cotton  or  grain  for  England. 

The  captain  at  once  landed  and  proceeded  to  the 
office  of  the  agent  of  the  firm  who  owned  the  Sea 
Belle.  He  was  shown  into  that  gentleman's  private 
room,  where  at  the  time  two  gentlemen  were  seated 
chatting.  The  agent  was  personally  acquainted 
with  the  captain,  and  asked  him  to  sit  down  and 
smoke  a  cigar. 

"  This  is  Captain  Mayhew,  of  the  Sea  Belle,"  he 
said  to  his  friends.  "  He  has  been  trading  for  the  last 
three  months  down  among  the  islands.  These 
gentlemen.  Captain  Mayhew,  are  Major  Harrison 
and  Captain  Edwards,  who  have  just  arrived  from 
China  with  their  regiment  in  the  Euphrates.  Has 
your  voyage  been  a  pleasant  one,  captain  ?" 

"  Pleasant  enough,  sir,  on  the  whole ;  but  we 
were  attacked  by  the  Malay  pirates,  and  I  should 
certainly  not  be  here  to  tell  the  tale  at  present  had 
it  not  been  for  the  quickness  and  shrewdness  of  a 
lad  who  had  been  shipwrecked  on  the  coast." 


FOR  NAME  AND  fAMR  1^9 

"  How  is  that,  Mayhew  ?    Tell  us  all  about  it." 

Captain  Mayhew  related  the  whole  story  of  the 
fight  with  the  pirates,  saying  that,  unquestionably, 
had  it  not  been  for  Will's  pointing  out  the  passage 
through  the  reef  in  the  first  place,  and  his  idea  of 
burying  a  submarine  mine  in  the  second,  the  Sea 
Belle  would  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
pirates. 

"  But  where  did  the  boy  spring  from  ?  how  on 
earth  came  he  to  be  there  ?" 

Captain  Mayhew  then  related  the  story  of 
William  Gale's  adventures  as  he  had  them  from  his 
own  lips. 

"  He  must  be  a  cool  and  plucky  young  fellow,  in- 
deed," Major  Harrison  exclaimed.  "  I  should  like 
to  see  him.  What  style  and  type  is  he,  captain  ?  a 
rough  sort  of  chap  ?" 

"  By  no  means,"  the  captain  answered.  "  He  is 
surprisingly  well-mannered.  Had  I  met  him  else- 
where, and  in  gentleman's  clothes,  I  do  not  think 
that  I  should  have  suspected  that  he  was  not  what 
he  appeared.  His  features,  too,  somehow  or  other, 
strike  one  as  being  those  of  a  gentleman,  which  is 
all  the  more  singular  when,  as  a  fact,  he  told  me  he 
had  been  brought  up  in  a  workhouse" 

"  In  a  workhouse !"  Major  Harrison  repeated. 
"Then  I  suppose  his  parents  were  farm  laborers." 


130  POR  NAME  AND  PAMM. 

"  No,"  the  captain  answered ;  "  he  was  left  at 
the  door  on  a  stormy  night  by  a  tramp  who  was 
found  drowned  next  morning  in  a  ditch  near.  He 
had,  when  found,  a  gold  trinket  of  some  kind  round 
his  neck ;  and  he  tells  me  that,  from  that  and  other 
circumstances,  it  was  generally  supposed  by  the 
workhouse  authorities  that  he  did  not  belong  to 
the  tramp,  but  that  he  had  been  stolen  by  her, 
and  that  he  belonged  at  least  to  a  respectable 
family." 

"  All  this  is  very  interesting,"  Captain  Edwards 
said.  "  I  should  like  much  to  see  the  boy.  Will 
you  come  and  dine  with  us  this  evening  on  board 
the  Euphrates — Mr.  Eeynolds  here  is  coming — and 
have  the  boy  sent  on  board,  say  at  nine  o'clock, 
when  we  can  have  him  in  and  have  a  chat  with 
him  ?" 

Captain  Mayhew  readily  agreed.  "William  was 
even  then  waiting  outside  for  him,  having  landed 
with  him ;  and  the  captain,  when  he  entered  the 
office,  had  told  him  to  walk  about  for  an  hour  and 
amuse  himself  with  the  sights  of  Calcutta  and  then 
return  and  wait  for  him.  He  said  nothing  about 
his  being  close  at  hand,  as  he  did  not  wish  the  offi- 
cers to  see  him  in  the  rough  outfit  which  had  been 
furnished  him  on  board  ship,  intending  to  surprise 
them  by  his  appearance  in  decent  clothes.    Accord- 


fOR  jH^AME  and  FAMK  131 

ingly,  on  leaving  Mr.  Eeynolds'  office,  he  took  him 
to  one  of  the  numerous  shops  in  the  town  where 
clothes  of  any  kind  can  be  procured. 

"  Now,  Will,"  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  get  a  suit 
of  shore-going  clothes.  You  can  get  your  sea  outfit 
to-morrow  at  your  leisure  ;  but  I  want  you  to  show 
up  well  at  the  mess  this  evening,  and  a  suit  of  good 
clothes  will  always  be  useful  to  you." 

Captain  May  hew  had  intended  to  pay  for  the 
outfit  himself,  but  this  Will  would  not  hear  of,  and 
Captain  Mayhew  was  the  less  reluctant  to  let  the 
lad  have  his  own  way,  as  he  had  in  the  course  of 
the  interview  with  the  agent  agreed  that  the  lad's 
services  deserved  a  handsome  recognition  from  the 
firm,  and  that  the  sum  of  100  guineas  should 
be  given  to  him  at  once.  The  agent  felt  no  doubt 
that  the  firm  would  thoroughly  approve  of  the  pay- 
ment. Twenty  pounds  were  to  be  given  to  Hans 
for  his  share  of  the  services  ;  but  the  two  sugges- 
tions which  had  saved  the  Sea  Belle  had  both  orig- 
inated with  Will. 

By  Captain  Mayhew's  advice  Will  purchased  a 
suit  of  dark-colored  tweed,  a  black  tie,  and  some 
white  shirts  and  collars.  At  other  shops  he  bought 
some  boots  and  a  Panama  straw  hat.  Having  com- 
pleted their  purchases  they  walked  for  some  hours 
about  Calcutta,  Will  being  delighted   with  the  va- 


132  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

riety  of  the  native  costumes  and  the  newness  and 
singularity  of  everything  which  met  his  eye. 

On  their  return  to  the  ghaut,  as  the  landing-stage 
is  called,  they  found  their  various  purchases  alreadj'- 
stowed  in  the  Sea  Belle's  boat,  which  had  about  an 
hour  before  come  to  shore  to  fetch  them  off.  At 
seven  o'clock  Captain  Mayhew  went  off  to  the  Eu- 
phrates, leaving  orders  that  the  boat  was  to  bring 
Will  over  at  nine.  At  that  hour  the  lad  was  dressed 
in  his  new  clothes,  which  fortunately  fitted  him 
well. 

"  By  jingo,  "Will,"  the  first  mate  said  as  he  entered 
the  cabin,  "  you  look  a  tip-topper,  and  no  mistake." 

The  mate  was  right ;  the  lad  with  his  sunburnt 
face,  quiet  manner,  and  easy  carriage,  looked 
thoroughly  at  home  in  his  attire. 

"I  don't  know  who  your  parents  were,  but  1 
would  bet  a  month's  pay  that  the  old  tramp  you 
were  telling  us  of  had  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  for 
you  look  every  inch  a  gentleman  from  head  to 
foot." 

"Will  found,  on  gaining  the  deck  of  the  Euphrates, 
that  orders  had  been  left  by  the  officer  in  command 
that  he  was  to  be  shown  into  the  saloon  cabin  upon 
his  giving  his  name  to  the  sergeant,  who  came  up 
at  the  sentry's  call.  He  was  at  once  conducted  be- 
low.    For  a  moment  he  felt  almost  bewildered  as 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  133 

he  entered  ;  the  size  of  the  cabin,  the  handsomeness 
of  its  fittings,  the  well-laid  table  decked  with  fra- 
grant flowers,  so  far  surpassed  anything  he  had  ever 
seen  or  thought  of.  He  was  conducted  to  the  head 
of  the  table,  where  Major  Harrison,  with  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds on  one  hand  and  Captain  May  hew  on  the 
other,  sat,  near  the  colonel  commanding  the  regi- 
ment. 

Captain  Mayhew,  who  had  already  told  the  out- 
line of  the  story,  smiled  quietly  to  himself  at  the 
expression  of  surprise  which  crossed  the  faces  of  the 
major  and  Mr.  Reynolds,  as  well  as  of  the  other 
officers  sitting  near,  at  the  appearance  of  the  lad 
he  introduced  to  them.  The  colonel  ordered  a 
chair  to  be  placed  next  to  himself,  and  told  the 
servant  to  fill  a  glass  of  wine  for  Will,  and  entered 
into  conversation  with  him. 

"  I  think,  gentlemen,"  he  said  after  a  minute  or 
two,  seeing  that  the  lad  did  not  touch  the  wine  that 
was  poured  out  for  him,  "  it  will  be  pleasanter  on 
deck  ;  for  it  is  terribly  hot  here,  and  I  see  that  most 
of  3'ou  have  finished  your  wine."  An  adjournment 
was  at  once  made  to  the  deck.  Here  cigars  were 
lighted,  and  the  colonel  and  senior  officers  taking 
their  places  in  some  of  the  easy-chairs  which  were 
still  about,  the  rest  gathered  round  to  hear  the 
story,  which  Major  Harrison  had  promised  them 
would  be  an  interesting  one. 


134  P^R  NAME  AND  FAME 

Captain  Mayhew  first  gave  his  account  of  the  fight 
between  the  Sea  Belle  and  the  pirates,  beginning  at 
the  point  when,  as  he  was  hotly  chased  and  despair- 
ing of  making  a  successful  defense,  the  canoe  with 
the  two  lads  in  it  came  out  to  him.  Then  Will  was 
called  upon  to  explain  how  he  came  to  be  there  at 
that  moment.  He  told  briefly  how  the  fishing- 
smack  was  sunk,  how  he  had  saved  himself  by  cling- 
ing to  the  bob-stay  of  the  Dutch  Indiaman,  and  how 
he  had  sailed  in  this  vessel  to  Java,  and  was  on  his 
way  in  her  to  China,  when  wrecked  in  the  cyclone. 
Here  his  audience  insisted  upon  his  giving  them  full 
details  ;  and  he  accordingly  told  them  the  manner 
in  which  he  and  a  few  of  the  crew  had  escaped ; 
how,  when  they  were  building  a  boat,  they  had 
been  attacked  by  Malays,  and  all — except  another 
lad  and  himself,  who  were  hiding  in  a  tree — were 
massacred  by  the  pirates ;  how  they  had  gone  in- 
land to  a  village,  where,  having  aided  the  natives 
when  attacked  by  a  hostile  tribe,  they  had  been 
most  kindly  received  ;  how  they  had  finally  obtained 
a  canoe  and  spent  their  time  in  fishing  in  hopes  of 
seeing  a  passing  sail,  until  the  Sea  Belle,  chased  by 
the  Malay  pirates,  had  appeared  off  the  shore. 

There  was  a  genuine  murmur  of  approval  from 
those  thickly  clustered  round  as  the  lad  finished  his 
story,  and  the  colonel  warmly  expressed  his  ap- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME .  135 

proval  of  his  conduct  under  such  exciting  circum- 
stances. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  have  not  made  up  my  mind,  sir,"  the  lad  said. 
"  I  expect  that  I  shall  ship  in  some  vessel  sailing  for 
England  shortly." 

"  Major  Harrison,"  the  colonel  said,  "  will  you 
and  Captain  Mayhew  come  with  me  to  my  cabin  ? 
I  should  like  to  have  a  few  minutes'  private  chat 
with  you,"  he  went  on,  putting  his  hand  on  Will's 
shoulder.  A  minute  or  two  later  the  three  gentle- 
men and  Will  were  seated  in  the  private  cabin. 

"  Look  here,  my  boy,"  the  colonel  said  ;  "  I  have 
heard  from  Major  Plarrison  what  you  had  told 
Captain  Mayhew  concerning  your  birth ;  and  cer- 
tainly your  appearance  and  manner  go  far  to  sus- 
tain the,belief  that  the  tramp  who  left  you  was  not 
your  mother,  and  that  your  parents  were  of  gentle 
birth.  I  do  not  say  that  a  man's  birth  makes  much 
difference  to  him  ;  still,  it  does  go  for  something, 
and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  difference  both  in 
face  and  figure  is  unmistakable.  Unless  I  am  very 
wrong  your  father  was  a  gentleman.  However, 
that  is  not  to  the  point :  it  is  your  quickness  and 
activity,  your  coolness  in  danger,  and  the  adven- 
tures which  you  have  gone  through  which  interest 
us  in  you.    Now  I  think  it  is  a  pity  that  a  lad  who 


136  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME, 

has  shown  that  there  is  so  much  in  him  should  re- 
main a  sailor  before  the  mast.  You  have  not  been 
so  long  at  sea  as  to  become  wedded  to  it,  and  to  be 
unable  to  turn  your  hands  to  anything  else.  Now, 
what  do  you  say  to  enlisting  ?  In  the  ranks  are 
men  of  all  sorts — gentlemen,  honest  men,  and  black- 
guards. The  steady  respectable  man  is  sure  to 
rise.  You  can,  the  captain  tells  me,  read  and  writo 
well.  There  is  a  chance  of  active  service  at  present, 
and  when  there  is  active  service  a  man  who  dis- 
tinguishes himself  gets  rapid  promotion.  The  regi- 
ment land  to-morrow  and  go  straight  through  by 
train  to  the  Korth.  There  is  trouble  in  Afghanis 
tan,  and  an  ultimatum  has  just  been  sent  to  the 
ameer  that  if  he  does  not  comply  with  our  terms  it 
will  be  war,  and  we  hope  to  be  there  in  time  for 
the  beginning  of  it.  I  can  only  say,  that  if  you 
like  to  join.  Major  Harrison  and  myself  will  keep 
our  eyes  upon  you,  and  if  you  deserve  it  you  may 
be  sure  of  rapid  promotion.  You  have  greatly  in. 
terested  me  in  your  story,  and  I  should  be  very 
glad  to  give  a  helping  hand  to  so  deserving  a  young 
fellow.  It  is  not  usual,  certainly,  for  a  regiment  to 
take  recruits  in  India,  but  I  don't  suppose  that 
there  can  be  any  objection  to  it." 

"  Thank  you   very  much,"  Will  said   when   the 
colonel  ceased.    "  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  137 

your  kindness.  I  have  never  thought  about  the 
army,  but  I  am  sure  that  I  cannot  possibly  do  bet- 
ter than  accept  your  kind  offer.  The  only  thing, 
sir,  is  about  ray  age." 

"  Tut,  tut !"  the  colonel  interrupted,  "  I  don't  want 
to  know  anything  about  your  age.  When  you  go 
up  for  attestraent  you  will  say  that  you  are  under 
nineteen,  which  will  be  strictly  true.  I  will  give  a 
hint,  and  no  further  questions  will  be  asked. 
IS'either  I  nor  any  one  else  know  that  you  are  not 
past  eighteen,  and  in  time  of  war  no  one  is  par- 
ticular as  to  the  age  of  recruits  as  long  as  they  are 
fit  to  do  their  duty.  You  must  work  hard  to  pick 
up  enough  knowledge  of  drill  to  enable  you  to  take 
your  place  in  the  ranks.  There  is  neither  parade 
work  nor  difficult  maneuvering  in  the  face  of  an 
enemy,  and  you  can  finish  up  afterward.  Are  you 
quite  agreed  ?" 

"  Quite,  sir,"  Will  said  joyously,  "  and  am  indeed 
obliged  to  you." 

"  Come  on  board  then  to-morrow  at  eight  o'clock, 
and  ask  for  Sergeant  Ringwood." 

William  Gale  left  the  cabin  with  a  new  prospect 
of  life  before  him.  He  had  of  late  rather  shrunk 
from  the  thoijght  of  again  taking  his  place  as  a 
ship-boy  ;  and  the  prospect  of  adventures,  to  say 
nothing  of    the  advancement  which  might  befall 


138  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

him  through  the  interest  taken  in  him  by  the 
colonel,  was  delightful  to  him. 

The  last  words  the  colonel  had  said  when  he  left 
the  cabin  were :  "  Say  nothing  about  the  work- 
house, and  as  little  as  possible  of  anything  which, 
happened  before  you  were  wrecked  on  the  island, 
in  the  barrack-room." 

When  William  and  Captain  Mayhew  had  left  the 
cabin  Colonel  Shepherd  sent  for  Sergeant  King- 
wood. 

"  Sergeant,"  he  said,  "  a  young  fellow  will  come 
on  board  to-morrow  at  eight  o'clock  to  join  the 
regiment  as  a  recruit.  Take  him  at  once  to  the  sur- 
geon and  get  him  passed.  I  know  we  shall  be  able 
to  give  him  but  little  drill  before  we  get  to  the  fron- 
tier ;  but  do  all  you  can  for  him  and  I  will  make 
it  up  to  you.  He  is  a  smart  young  fellew,  and  I 
have  a  good  deal  of  interest  in  him.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  China  and  was  wrecked  among  the  Malays, 
and  has  gone  through  a  good  deal.  Finding  him- 
self here  with  nothing  to  do,  and  with  a  prospect 
of  active  service  on  the  frontier,  he  has  decided  to 
enlist ;  and,  as  he  is  a  gallant  young  fellow,  I  do 
not  wish  to  balk  his  fancy." 

The  sergeant  saluted  and  took  kis  leave,  im- 
pressed with  the  idea — although  the  colonel  had  not 
said  so — that  the  new  recruit  was  a  young  gentle- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  139 

man   who  bad  joined  the   service   simply  for  the 
sake  of  taking  part  in  the  war. 

The  next  morning  Will  took  leave  of  his  friend 
Hans,  who  had  the  previous  day  shipped  on  board 
a  Dutch  ship  homeward  bound,  and  who  was  a  few 
hours  later  to  shift  his  berth  to  her,  after  he  had 
been  on  shore  to  lit  himself  out  in  clothes.  Hans 
was  much  affected  at  saying  good-by  to  his  com 
panion,  and  the  two  promised  to  correspond  with 
each  other.  On  bidding  farewell  to  his  friend  the 
captain  of  the  Sea  Belle,  the  latter  informed  Will 
that  Mr.  Reynolds  had,  on  behalf  of  the  owners  of 
the  Sea  Belle,  paid  £100  to  his  account  into  the 
Bank  of  Hindustan,  and  that  this  or  any  portion  of 
it  would  be  paid  to  his  order,  as  the  captain  had 
furnished  the  agent  with  a  slip  of  paper  upon 
which  Will  had  at  his  request  signed  his  name. 
This  had,  with  the  money,  been  deposited  at  the 
bank,  so  that  his  signature  might  be  recognized 
and  honored. 

On  reaching  the  Euphrates  Will  was  at  once 
taken  charge  of  by  Sergeant  Ringwood,  who  took 
him  before  the  doctor,  to  whom  the  colonel  had 
already  spoken.  The  medical  examination  was 
satisfactory,  the  doctor  remarking: 

"  You  are  rather  slight  yet,  but  you  will  fill  out 
in  time." 


140  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  age  was  asked,  and  given  as  under  nineteen, 
and  eighteen  was  inscribed  against  hira  in  the  books. 
Then  he  was  taken  before  the  colonel  and  attested, 
and  was  from  that  moment  a  member  of  the  regi- 
ment. A  uniform  was  served  out  to  him,  and  the 
usual  articles  of  kit.  The  sergeant  saw  that  his 
belts  were  put  on  properly  and  his  knapsack  packed  ; 
and  half  an  hour  afterward  he  fell  in,  with  his 
musket  on  his  shoulder,  among  the  troops  paraded 
on  the  deck  of  the  Euphrates  prior  to  embarka- 
tion. 

So  quickly  had  it  all  been  managed  that  Will 
could  hardly  believe  that  he  was  awake,  as,  feeling 
strangely  hampered  by  his  belts  and  accouterments, 
he  descended  the  accommodation  ladder  and  took 
his  place  with  his  nevf  comrades  on  board  one  of  the 
great  native  boats  and  rowed  to  the  shore. 

The  regiment  was  marched  direct  to  the  railway 
station,  where  the  heavy  baggage  had  been  sent  on 
the  previous  day.  The  men  took  their  places  in  the 
long  train  which  stood  in  readiness,  and  half  an 
hour  later  steamed  north  from  Calcutta. 

Hitherto  none  of  his  comrades  had  spoken  to 
"Will.  In  the  bustle  of  landing  all  had  enough  to 
do  to  look  to  themselves,  and  it  was  not  until  he 
found  himself  with  eight  comrades  and  a  corporal 
io  the  railway  carriage  ^hut  he  \Yft§  g^ddressed, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMW.  141 

"  Well,  young  'un,"  one  said,  "  what's  yer  name, 
and  where  do  you  come  from  ?  Calcutta  isn't  much 
of  a  place  for  recruiting," 

"  I  was  on  my  way  to  China,"  Will  replied,  "  and 
got  wrecked  among  the  Malays ;  then  I  got  picked 
up  by  a  vessel,  and  we  had  some  hot  fighting.  Then 
1  was  landed  at  Calcutta,  and  seeing  nothing  much 
to  do,  and  hearing  that  there  was  a  chance  of  a 
fight  with  the  Afghans,  I  thought  the  best  thing  to 
do  was  to  enlist.     My  name  is  William  Gale." 

"  I  wasn't  quite  sure  that  you  were  an  English- 
man ;  you  are  pretty  nigh  as  dark  as  them  copper- 
colored  niggers  here." 

"  So  would  you  be,"  Will  laughed,  "  if  you  had 
been  living,  as  I  have,  for  ten  months  among  savages 
without  even  a  shirt  to  your  back." 

"  Tell  us  all  about  it,"  the  soldier  said.  "  This  is 
a  bit  of  luck,  mates,  our  having  some  one  who  can 
tell  us  a  tale  when  we  have  got  such  a  long  journey 
before  us." 

Will  made  his  story  as  full  as  he  could,  and  it 
lasted  a  long  time.  When  it  was  finished  the  men 
expressed  their  opinion  that  he  was  a  good  sort ; 
and  Will  having  handed  over  to  the  corporal  a 
sovereign  to  be  expended  on  drinks  by  the  way,  as 
his  footing  in  the  regiment,  he  became  quite  a 
popular  character,  and  soon  felt  at  home  in  his 
new  position. 


U2  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

THE   ADVANCE   INTO   AFGHANISTAN. 

There  was  but  little  talking  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  in  the  train,  for  the  heat  was  excessive.  All 
the  men  had  taken  off  their  coats  and  sat  in  their 
shirt-sleeves.  But  they  were,  nevertheless,  bathed 
in  perspiration.  Late  at  night  the  train  arrived  at 
Allahabad.  Here  there  was  a  stop  till  morning. 
The  men  alighted  from  the  train  and  lay  down  on 
their  folded  blankets,  with  their  knapsacks  for 
pillows,  on  the  platform  or  in  the  waiting-rooms. 
A  plentiful  supply  of  water  had  been  prepared  for 
their  use  at  the  station,  and  outside  were  several 
water-carriers,  and  many  of  the  men  stripped  off 
their  shirts  and  had  water  poured  over  their  heads 
and  bodies. 

Will  Gale  was  among  these,  and  greatly  refreshed, 
he  enjoyed  some  fruit  and  cakes  which  he  purchased 
from  native   venders ;  and  then  lying  down  on  a 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  143 

bench  in  the  station  was  soon  asleep.  Four  days* 
travelino'  brought  them  to  the  end  of  the  railway. 
They  were  ferried  across  the  Attock,  and  then 
their  real  work  began. 

Although  it  was  now  late  in  September  the  heat 
was  still  intense.  Tents  were  struck  an  hour  before 
daybreak,  and  by  eleven  o'clock  each  day  the 
column  was  at  its  halting-place.  It  was,  however, 
hours  before  the  tents  and  baggage  arrived.  Many 
of  the  draft  cattle  were  very  poor,  forage  was 
scarce,  and  the  arrangements  far  from  good.  The 
consequence  was  that  great  numbers  of  the  oxen 
broke  down  and  died,  and  many  of  the  troops  were 
often  obliged  to  sleep  in  the  air  owing  to  the  non- 
arrival  of  their  tents.  The  defects  of  the  transport 
were  aggravated  as  the  time  went  on,  and  the 
Norfolk  Rangers  fared  much  better  than  some  of 
the  troops  which  followed  them. 

The  regiment  was  destined  to  operate  in  the 
Khuram  Valley  under  the  command  of  General 
Roberts.  The  advanced  column  of  this  division 
consisted  of  the  Seventh  Company  of  Bengal 
Sappers,  the  Twenty-third  Bengal  Pioneers,  a 
battery  of  horse  artillery,  one  of  Royal  Artillery, 
and  two  mountain  batteries,  a  squardon  of  the 
Tenth  Hussars,  and  the  Twelfth  Bengal  Cavalry. 
The  first  brigade  of  infantry  comprised  the  second 


144  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

battalion  of  the  Eighth-Foot,  the  Twenty-ninth  Ben- 
gal Native  Infantry,  and  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry. 
The  second  brigade  consisted  of  the  Seventy-second 
Highlanders,  the  Twenty-first  IS'ative  Infantry,  the 
Second  Punjaub  Infantry,  and  the  Fifth  Goorkhas. 
The  place  of  assembly  was  Kohat.  The  Norfolk 
Eangers  were  to  act  as  a  reserve. 

It  was  on  the  2d  of  October  that  the  Rangers 
arrived  at  Kohat,  heartily  glad  that  their  march 
across  the  sandy  plains  of  the  Punjaub  was  at  an 
end.  The  other  regiments  comprising  the  force 
poured  in  rapidly,  and  on  the  9th  the  general  ar- 
rived and  assumed  the  command.  The  next  day 
the  Punjaub  regiments  were  sent  forward  to  ThuU. 
It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  November  that  the 
European  regiments  followed  them,  and  the  six 
weeks  were  by  the  Rangers  for  the  most  part  era- 
ployed  in  drill ;  for,  after  their  voyage  and  journey 
up  the  country,  their  commanding  officer  considered 
it  necessary  to  work  them  hard  to  get  them  to  the 
highest  state  of  discipline. 

William  Gale  was  worked  exceptionally  hard,  as 
he  had  in  that  short  time  to  learn  the  manual  and 
platoon  exercises,  and  to  pick  up  enough  of  drill  to 
enable  him  to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks.  Fortu- 
nateW  he  carried  himself  well  and  required  far  less 
drilling  than  the  majority  of  the  recruits.     By  the 


Pott  NAME  AND  PAME.  145 

time  that  the  regiment  moved  forward  he  was  able 
to  take  his  place  in  his  company,  and  had  mastered 
all  the  movements  which  vs^ere  likely  to  be  necessary 
in  the  campaign. 

The  road  between  Kohat  and  Thull  runs  in  a 
valley  between  mountains,  those  on  the  right  being 
inhabited  by  the  Waziries,  a  fierce  and  independent 
tribe.  The  regiment  which  had  first  marched  had 
exercised  every  precaution  against  an  attack.  The 
convoys  of  stores  and  provisions  sent  forward  had 
always  been  accompanied  by  strong  escorts,  and 
orders  were  issued  that  officers  going  forward  on 
duty  should  not  travel  without  protection.  The 
"Waziries,  however,  contrary  to  expectation,  re- 
mained quiet,  probably  waiting  to  see  the  turn 
which  matters  took ;  for  had  we  suffered  a  repulse 
they  would  assuredly  have  taken  part  at  once 
against  us,  and  would  have  aided  in  massacring 
fugitives  and  robbing  baggage-wagons. 

The  march  to  Thull  occupied  five  days,  which 
were  very  pleasant  ones  to  William  Gale.  His 
heavy  work  at  drill  was  now  over :  he  was  no 
longer  considered  a  recruit,  but  ranked  as  a  soldier. 
The  marches  were  not  long,  and  for  many  hours  in 
the  afternoon  the  high  hills  threw  the  valley  in 
shade ;  and  the  soldiers,  after  pitching  their  tents, 
were  able  to  stroll  about  or  to  lie  under  the  trees  in 


146  FOR  NAME  AlfD  FAME. 

which  the  valley  abounded.  The  regiment  reached 
Thull  on  the  18th  of  November,  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  21st  the  column  advanced. 

The  river,  whose  bed  was  five  hundred  yards  wide, 
was  fortunately  now  low,  being  reduced  to  a  stream 
of  forty  yards  wide  by  three  deep.  A  trestle- 
bridge  had  been  thrown  across  it  for  the  use  of  the 
infantry.  The  river  was  distant  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  town.  No  opposition  was  expected  ;  but 
as  a  small  Afghan  garrison  was  stationed  in  a  fort 
at  Kapizang,  a  short  distance  beyond  the  river,  an 
attempt  was  to  be  made  to  capture  it.  The  Twenty- 
ninth  Punjaub  Infantry  first  crossed  the  river  at  the 
bridge.  The  Tenth  Hussars  forded  the  river  and 
extended  in  skirmishing  order  to  cut  off  the  retreat 
of  the  garrison.  "When  the}*^  reached  the  fort,  how- 
ever, which  was  a  square  inclosure  with  round 
towers  at  the  corners,  it  was  found  that  the  gar- 
rison, who  had  doubtless  received  warning  from 
spies  in  Thull,  had  abandoned  the  place  in  the 
night.  ' 

The  cavalry  were  now  sent  forward  to  recon- 
noiter,  the  infantry  following,  and  the  advanced 
force  halted  at  Ahmed-I-shama  for  the  night.  Not 
a  single  habitation  was  passed  during  the  nine  miles, 
march  The  road  was  generally  a  mere  track,  six 
feet  wide,  passing  through  tangled  brakes  of  dwarf 


FOR  NAME  AND  PAME.  147 

palms,  intersected  by  stony  gullies  except  when  it 
ran  along  the  steep  bank  of  the  river. 

The  following  day  the  rest  of  the  first  brigade 
marched  up  to  Ahraed-I-sharaa,  while  the  advanced 
force  under  Colonel  Gordon  moved  on  to  Hazir-pir. 
The  Rangers  were  with  the  first  brigade,  but  not 
with  the  advanced  party.  This  was  composed 
wholly  of  native  troops,  consisting  of  the  pioneer 
regiments  and  the  sappers  and  miners ;  these  had 
hard  work,  for  the  road,  which  was  fifteen  miles  in 
length,  was  scarcely  passable  for  wheeled  carriages, 
and  the  guns  could  not  be  taken  along  until  the 
boulders  and  blocks  of  stone  which  strewed  the 
way  were  removed  or  blasted  into  pieces. 

On  the  23d  the  Rangers,  with  the  horse  artillery 
battery  and  two  native  regiments,  marched  toward 
Hazir-pir ;  but  the  difficulties  of  the  road  were  so 
great  that  they  had  to  camp  for  the  night  four 
miles  short  of  that  place.  General  Roberts  and  the 
headquarters  went  forward  the  same  day. 

As  the  general  passed  along  the  road  the  head 
men  of  all  the  villages  near  came  and  paid  their 
respects,  and  the  villagers  lined  the  roads  as  the 
troops  passed,  ofi'ering  fowls,  eggs,  milk,  and  dried 
fruit  for  sale.  As  William  Gale  had  brought  a 
supply  of  money  with  him,  he  was  able  to  indulge 
in  all  those  luxuries ;  and,  indeed,  as  the  men  had 


148  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

had  few  opportunities  of  spending  money  at  Tliull^ 
all  were  well  supplied  with  cash.  The  halt  at 
Hazir-pir  was  then  a  very  pleasant  one.  Supplies 
of  grass,  fuel,  and  provisions  were  brought  in  in  con- 
siderable quantities  there ;  but  much  difficulty  arose 
in  settling  the  terms  of  purchase,  as  coin  was  almost 
unknown  in  the  valley,  and  therefore  there  was  no 
established  price ;  one  native  being  ready  to  sell  for 
a  few  coppers  articles  for  which  another  demanded 
as  many  pieces  of  silver.  On  the  hills  around  a 
considerable  number  of  sheep  were  seen  grazing, 
but  the  natives  did  not  care  about  selling  these, 
which  indeed  belonged  for  the  most  part,  not  to  the 
Turis,  the  tribe  which  inhabit  the  valley,  but  to 
nomad  Ghilzais,  who,  like  the  Swiss  shepherds, 
move  about  with  their  charges  among  the  moun- 
tains wherever  fodder  is  to  be  obtained.  Khuram 
Yalley  itself  is  bare  and  monotonous.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  fruitt-rees  planted  round  the  villages, 
scarce  a  tree  is  to  be  found;  but  each  village  is 
marked  by  a  huge  chunar  or  oriental  plane,  be- 
neath which  the  villagers  rest  during  the  noonday 
heat. 

But  if  the  valley  itself  was  bare  and  desolate,  the 
scenery  around  was  lovely.  The  great  range  of 
mountains  known  as  the  Safaid-Koh  bound  the  val- 
ley on  the  east  and  north.     This  range  averages 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  149 

fourteen  thousand  feet  high,  from  which  spurs  run 
out  at  right  angles,  inclosing  narrower  valleys  with 
broiling  torrents  rushing  through  bowlders.  The 
slopes  of  these  valleys  are  covered  with  luxuriant 
vegetation  till  the  limit  of  trees  is  reached  at  a 
height  of  about  eleven  thousand  feet,  above  Avhich 
in  winter  the  snow  lies  thick,  while  in  summer  it 
furnisbes  the  finest  pasture  to  the  Ghilzai  flocks 
and  herds. 

The  valley  lands  and  the  lower  slopes  of  the  hills 
are  laid  out  in  terraces,  and  irrigated  rice-fields  ex- 
tend near  the  rivers.  Valley  and  hill  are  alike  cov~ 
ered  with  stones  and  bowlders,  Afghanistan  being 
probably  the  most  stony  countr}'^  in  the  world. 

On  the  24th  the  headquarters  with  the  cav- 
alry and  two  regiments  moved  forward  ten  miles 
and  encamped  at  the  south  end  of  the  Darwazi 
Pass,  the  road  leading  to  open  broad  valleys  cov- 
ered with  dwarf  palms  and  wholly  uncultivated. 
On  the  25th  the  advanced  force  crossed  the  pass, 
which  was  a  gentle  slope  and  offered  no  great 
difficulty,  and  at  night  encamped  at  the  Khuram 
fort,  which  had  been  evacuated  by  the  enemy. 
The  buildings,  which  would  have  been  useful  for  the 
troops,  had,  however,  been  wrecked  by  the  Turis, 
who  have  a  deadly  hate  for  the  Afghans,  their  mas- 
ters, and  who  were  also  animated  in  their  work  of 


150  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

destruction  by  a  desire  to  obtain  wood,  which  is  ex- 
ceedingly scarce  there. 

At  Khuram  there  are  two  forts,  the  one  one 
hundred  and  twenty  yards  and  the  other  one  hun- 
dred yards  square.  Inside  these  were  quarters  for 
the  governor  and  huts  for  the  garrison  and  officers, 
and  in  the  smaller  forts  were  stables  for  the  cav- 
alry forces.  This  place  was  made  the  headquarters 
of  the  forces  in  the  Khuram  Valley.  The  general 
now  rode  on  with  two  squadrons  of  the  Twelfth 
Bengal  Cavalry  to  reconnoiter  in  the  direction  of 
the  Peiwar  Khotal,  toward  which  the  enemy  were 
supposed  to  be  retreating,  and  where  they  were  ex- 
pected to  make  a  stand.  As  they  approached  the 
village  of  Peiwar  two  villages  were  seen  in  flames, 
and  news  was  brought  in  that  three  Afghan  regi- 
ments, with  twelve  guns,  had  lately  passed  through. 

The  natives  reported  that  they  \vere  incumbered 
by  their  guns,  and  that  forced  labor  was  procured 
for  the  purpose  of  removing  them.  Later  on  a 
rumor  came  that  the  twelve  guns  were  stuck  in  the 
ravine  at  the  foot  of  the  khotal  or  pass. 

With  but  a  small  force  of  cavalry  at  his  command 
the  general  could  do  nothing,  and  so  returned  to 
Khuram  and  determined  to  hurry  up  the  troops 
faster  than  he  had  intended  so  as  to  capture  the 
guns  reported — as  was  afterward  proved  falsely — 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  151 

to  have  been  left  behind  by  the  Afghans.  The  sick 
and  all  superfluous  baggage  were  left  behind  at 
Khurara,  and  on  the  28th  the  troops  moved  at  day- 
break, the  two  brigades  marching  in  parallel  col- 
umns. 

The  cold  was  now  severe  at  night,  although  it  was 
hot  in  the  daytime.  It  had  been  intended  to  halt  at 
Halid-Kitta,  four  miles  from  the  khotal ;  but  the 
intelligence  arriving  that  the  ameer's  troops  had 
abandoned  their  guns  and  were  in  disorderly  re- 
treat, decided  the  general  to  push  forward  at  once 
to  the  Peiwar  Khotal,  seven  miles  further,  instead 
of  waiting  and  giving  the  enemy  time  to  strengthen 
their  position.  A  mile  from  the  foot  of  the  actual 
ascent  of  the  Khotal  lies  the  village  of  Turrai,  two 
miles  and  a  half  beyond  Peiwar.  Turrai  is  situated 
in  a  valley,  the  ground  at  whose  entrance  is  very 
much  broken  up  by  the  shoulders  and  spurs  of  the 
hill.  The  left  column — the  Fifth  and  Twenty-ninth 
Punjaub  in  advance,  with  the  second  battalion  of 
the  Eighth  and  the  Twenty-third  Pioneers,  the 
Rangers,  and  two  guns  of  the  No.  1  mountain 
battery  in  support — were  sent  to  the  left  with  in- 
structions to  turn  a  ridge  forming  the  south  bound- 
ary of  the  valley,  and  to  seize  tiie  village  of  Turrai. 
They  were  also  to  follow  up  closely  any  body  of  re- 
treating   Afghan    troops  that    they    might   come 


152  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

across.  The  light  brigade  were  to  march  up  the 
regular  road  to  the  Peiwar,  thus  supporting  the  at- 
tack of  the  left  brigade. 

The  left  brigade  followed  out  its  orders,  except 
that  the  regiment  in  support  did  not  go  round  the 
southern  side  of  the  spur,  but  kept  to  the  north. 
No  enemy  was  seen  on  the  south  side  of  the  spur,  so 
when  a  track  leading  across  to  Turrai  was  reached 
the  troops  moved  down  toward  the  village,  the 
regiments  in  support  advancing  at  the  foot  of  the 
open  on  the  north  side.  The  mountain  path  that 
the  advanced  troops  were  now  filing  down  did  not 
lead  directly  to  the  village,  but  fell  into  the  valley 
ahead  of  it  at  a  point  where  it  widens  out  into  what 
was  known  as  the  "  punch-bowl  valley  "  at  the  foot 
of  the  Peiwar  Khotal. 

As  soon  as  the  head  of  the  column  reached  this 
spot  they  came  in  sight  of  the  Afghans,  who  showed 
themselves  in  great  numbers  on  the  crest  of  the 
mountain  far  above  their  heads.  As  the  troops  had 
no  orders  to  attack  so  formidable  a  position,  they 
fell  back  toward  Turrai,  which  was  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  to  the  rear.  At  the  sight  of  this  move- 
ment the  Afghans  swarmed  down  a  spur  of  the  hill 
and  commenced  an  attack  on  the  regiments  that 
were  moving  toward  the  village.  The  Twenty-ninth 
Punjaubees  climbed  the  hill,  and  a  sharp  skirmish 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  153 

at  once   ensued,  the  two   mounted  guns  coming 
into  action. 

While  this  was  going  on,  the  main  body  of  the 
troops  arrived  at  Turrai.  The  advanced  troops 
were  recalled  and  the  Fifth  Goorkhas  were  advanced 
to  cover  the  movement.  As  it  was  now  seen  that 
the  story  of  the  abandonment  of  the  guns  was  false, 
orders  were  given  to  pile  arms  in  the  village  and  to 
encamp  there.  This  step  was  an  imprudent  one,  as 
the  Afghans  speedily  showed.  While  our  men  were 
sitting  or  lying  upon  the  ground  waiting  for  the 
baggage  to  arrive  the  Afghans  brought  up  a  moun- 
tain-gun from  the  main  ridge,  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  distant,  to  the  point  of  the  spur  overlook- 
ing the  village  of  Turrai,  and  opened  fire  at  seven- 
teen hundred  yards  range. 

The  astonishment  of  the  troops  when  the  first 
shell  fell  among  them  was  great.  Every  one  jumped 
to  his  feet  and  seized  his  rifle,  and  the  guns  of  the 
Koyal  Horse  Artillery  were  brought  at  once  into 
action.  It  was  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
the  Afghans  opened  fire.  Had  they  waited  for  a 
few  hours,  brought  up  another  gun  or  two,  and 
made  a  night  attack  immediately  after  opening  fire, 
it  is  morally  certain  that  the  imprudence  of  camp- 
ing in  such  a  position  would  have  been  punished  by 
a  disaster   which   might   have  vied  with    that  of 


154  POR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Isandula.  Huddled  together  in  a  small  village  sur- 
rounded by  scrub,  and  impeded  as  the  troops  would 
have  been  by  the  baggage  animals  and  native  fol- 
lowers rushing  in  terror  in  all  directions,  our  men 
would  have  been  taken  at  an  immense  disadvantage. 
Fortunate  was  it  that  the  enemy  opened  fire  before 
the  darkness  set  in.  The  troops  were  at  once  or- 
dered to  fall  back  a  mile  and  a  half  and  to  pitch  on 
fresh  ground. 

•There  was  much  confusion  in  the  retreat,  as  the 
road  in  the  rear  was  crowded  with  the  baggage 
animals.  The  spot  chosen  for  the  camp  was  a  rough 
one,  for  the  ground  was  covered  with  scrub  and  a 
scattered  growth  of  hill  oak  and  thorny  bushes,  and 
was  broken  by  the  remains  of  some  ancient  terraces, 
but  as  the  jungle  and  broken  ground  extended  for 
three  and  a  half  miles,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  take  up  the  best  position  possible  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. The  troops  bivouacked  on  the  ridge 
of  a  ravine  with  steep  banks  which  formed  a  line  of 
defense  in  front  of  the  camp,  while  the  view  in 
every  other  direction  was  obscured  by  trees.  The 
regiments  passed  a  wretched  night  on  the  rough 
ground.  Most  of  them  were  unable  to  find  their 
baggage,  which  was  wandering  in  the  scrub  in  the 
dark,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  troops  lay  down 
on  the  bare  ground  and  went  supperless  to  sleep 
after  their  fatiguing  march  of  twenty -one  miles. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  155 

In  the  morning  both  men  and  cattle  were  greatly 
exhausted  by  their  long  marches  and  almost  sleep- 
less nights,  and  General  Roberts  determined  to 
wait  for  a  day  or  two  to  reconnoiter  the  formidable 
position  of  the  enemy  before  undertaking  its  attack. 
The  camp  was  shifted  to  a  more  secure  site,  the 
brushwood  and  trees  were  cleared  away,  the  tents 
pitched,  and  the  troops  were  again  comfortable. 

A  reconnaissance  was  made  by  Colonel  Perkins, 
commanding  the  Royal  Engineers,  with  two  com-' 
panics  of  the  pioneers.  He  ascertained  that  a  deep 
ravine  lay  between  the  ridge  on  which  they  were 
encamped  and  the  khotal  itself,  and  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  direct  an  attack  on  that  side.  Major  Col- 
lett  also,  with  two  companies  of  the  Twenty-third, 
proceeded  to  reconnoiter  the  route  known  as  the 
Spingawi  or  Cow  Pass.  This,  instead  of  going 
straight  up  the  hill  in  front,  wound  round  its  foot 
to  the  right  of  the  valley. 

Ascending  the  mountain  at  a  point  some  three  or 
four  miles  to  the  east  of  the  Peiwar  Khotal,  the 
reconnaissance  reached  the  summit  of  a  ridge  about 
five  miles  distant  from  the  camp  and  overlooking 
the  Spingawi  Khotal.  It  was  ascertained  that  the 
road  up  the  pass  seemed  easy  and  practicable  for 
all  arms,  that  the  top  of  the  pass  appeared  to  be  on 
the  same  ridge  as  the  Peiwar  Khotal  and  that  a 


156  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

force  working  from  it  toward  the  Peiwar  would 
pass  over  a  series  of  dominating  positions.  It  did 
not  appear  to  Major  Collett  that  the  enemy  held 
the  Peiwar  Khotal  in  force,  although  there  was  a 
gun  on  a  commanding  knoll  on  the  south,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  one  at  the  top  of  the  pass.  The  road 
from  the  village  of  Peiwar  to  the  top  of  the 
Spingawi  Pass  seemed  perfectly  easy  for  troops  of 
all  arms. 

The  next  two  days  were  spent  in  clearing  the 
camp,  and  so  far  as  possible  improving  its  military 
position ;  but  it  was  still  surrounded  by  thick  oak 
jungle,  which  would  have  afforded  cover  for  an 
enemy  making  a  sudden  attack.  A  further  recon- 
naissance was  made  of  the  Spingawi  Pass,  and  as  the 
examination  confirmed  Major  Collett's  report  it  was 
determined  to  attack  by  it.  Orders  were  issued  on 
the  1st  of  December  for  a  march  that  night.  The 
regiments  which  were  to  form  the  main  attack  by 
the  Spingawi  plateau  route  were  the  Twenty -ninth 
Punjaub  Infantry  and  the  Fifth  Goorkhas,  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Gordon  in  advance ;  these  were 
to  be  followed  by  the  mountain  battery,  a  wing  of 
the  Seventy-second  Highlanders,  a  company  of  the 
Rangers,  the  Second  Punjaubees,  and  the  Twenty- 
third  Pioneers,  under  Brigadier-General  Thel well. 
Four  guns  on  elephants  were  to  proceed  with  the 


FOR  NA MS!  AlfD  PaME.  JS-v 

column.  The  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry,  the  Eighth 
Regiment,  two  guns  Royal  Horse  Artillery,  three 
guns  Royal  Artillery,  and  the  Fifth  Bengal  Cav- 
alry, the  whole  under  the  command  of  Brigadier- 
General  Cobbe,  were  to  make  an  attack  on  the  Pei- 
war  Khotal  direct. 

The  rest  of  the  force  was  to  remain  to  guard  the 
camp,  and  in  order  to  convince  the  enemy  that  a 
front  attack  upon  the  Pei  war  Khotal  was  intended, 
a  party  of  pioneers  with  an  engineer  officer,  and  a 
covering  party  of  the  Eighth  Regiment,  were  to  con- 
struct a  battery  near  the  village  of  Turrai.  Fre- 
quent reconnoitering  parties  had  also  been  sent  out 
in  this  direction,  and  so  well  was  the  secret  of  the 
general's  intention  to  attack  by  the  Spingawi  Khotal 
kept  that  every  one  in  camp  who  had  not  been  let 
into  the  secret  was  confident  that  the  Peiwar- 
Khotal  would  be  stormed  on  the  morrow.  The 
enemy,  although  those  in  camp  were  ignorant  of 
the  fact,  were  re  enforced  on  the  1st  by  four  regi- 
ments of  infantry  with  a  mountain  battery,  and  or 
their  side  were  meditating  an  attack  upon  the  British 
oamp. 

The  regiments  which  had  freshly  arrived  were, 
however,  fatigued  by  their  long  march,  and  the 
assault  on  our  camp  was  postponed  until  the  next 
day,  and  the  chance  of  its  coming  off  was  therefore 


158  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

lost  forever.  To  William  Gale's  great  satisfaction 
a  company  of  the  Kangers,  that  to  which  he  had 
been  posted,  was  the  one  selected  by  the  colonel  to 
accompany  the  column  marching  up  the  pass.  He 
did  not  indeed  know  that  this  was  the  route  by 
which  they  were  to  advance,  but  he  was  pleased  at 
not  being  left  behind  with  the  regiment  in  charge 
of  the  camp. 

"  Well,  young  'un,"  a  corporal  said  to  him  that 
evening,  "  we  are  going  to  be  under  fire  at  last,  and 
a  nice  climb  we  shall  have  of  it ;  it  puts  one  out  of 
breath  to  look  at  that  steep  road  running  up  the 
hill,  and  when  it  comes  to  fighting  one's  way  up  it, 
with  cannon  and  Afghans  on  the  top,  we  shall  find 
it  hard  work." 

"  I  expect,"  William  answered,  "  that  we  shan't 
go  up  it  at  any  extraordinary  pace ;  if  we  skirmish 
up,  as  I  expect  we  shall,  from  rock  to  rock,  we  shall 
have  plenty  of  time  to  get  our  wind  at  each  halt. 
We  are  not  to  take  our  knapsacks,  so  we  shall  fight 
light,  and  we  have  not  much  extra  weight  to  carry. 
What  with  the  heat  and  what  with  the  long  marches, 
I  should  think  I  must  have  lost  a  stone  in  weight 
since  we  landed  in  Calcutta." 

"  I  don't  think  you  have  lost  weight  at  all,"  the 
corporal  said  ;  "  it  seems  to  me  that  you  have  grown 
and  widened  out  in  the  two  months ;  and  only  yes- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMS.  I5d 

terday,  when  I  was  sizing  the  company,  I  had  to 
move  you  two  men  higher ;  for  a  young  'un  you 
stand  the  fatigues  well." 

"I  am  all  right,"  Will  said,  "except  that  I  have 
got  some  frightful  blisters  on  my  feet.  I  was  not 
going  to  say  anything  about  it,  because  I  should 
have  been  kept  in  hospital  and  left  behind  at 
Khuram,  but  I  have  hardly  known  how  to  march 
the  last  few  days.  1  don't  think  I  could  possibly 
have  managed  it  if  I  had  not  adopted  the  native 
dodge  of  wearing  putties,  which  I  have  greased  well 
on  the  inside,  and  wear  instead  of  stockings." 

Putties,  it  may  be  said,  are  slips  of  woolen  cloth 
about  two  and  a  half  yards  long  and  three  inches 
wide,  with  a  tape  sewn  into  one  end.  They  are 
wound  round  and  round  the  leg,  from  the  ankle  to 
below  the  knee,  and  secui-ed  by  the  end  being  tied 
with  the  tape.  Nearly  every  one,  officers  and  men, 
wore  them  through  the  campaign.  For  a  long 
march  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  these  bandages, 
wound  round  the  foot  instead  of  stockings,  are  very 
preferable,  as  they  obviate  the  liability  to  foot-sores. 
Even  with  well-made  boots  all  pedestrians  may  at 
times  suffer  from  sore  feet,  but  the  liability  is  im- 
mensely increased  when,  as  in  the  case  of  the  British 
soldier,  the  boots  are  coarse,  roughly  sewn,  and  fre- 
quently ill-fitted. 


160  Poll  NAME  AlfD  FAM^. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE   PEIWAK   KHOTAL. 


At  ten  o'clock  at  night  on  the  1st  of  December 
the  troops  detailed  for  the  attack  mustered  in  the 
camp.  The  assembly  took  place  without  sound  of 
bugle,  and  even  the  necessary  words  of  command 
were  given  in  a  low  tone.  Through  the  still  night 
air  the  Afghans  on  the  hills,  little  more  than  two 
miles  away,  would  have  heard  the  stir.  It  was  a 
very  dark  night  although  the  stars  shone  clear. 

"Where  can  we  be  going?"  William  Gale  asked 
the  soldier  next  to  him,  "  We  are  going  right  away 
from  the  pass  instead  of  toward  it." 

"  So  we  are  !"  the  soldier  replied.  "  Blessed  if 
I  know  what  we  are  up  to,  and  it's  so  precious  dark 
that  I  can  scarcely  see  the  file  before  me.  I  hope 
we  ain't  going  to  fight  in  the  dark,  anyhow.  What 
would  be  the  good  of  being  a  marksman  when  you 
cannot  see  the  end  of  your  own  rifle,  let  alone  the 
man  you  are  firing  at  ?" 


FOB  NAMS:  and  fame.  161 

"  Oh !  we  can't  be  going  to  attack  in  the  dark," 
Will  said.  "  I  expect  we  have  got  a  long  march 
before  us,  and  are  going  to  work  round  somehow 
and  take  them  in  rear." 

"  Well,  I  hope  whoever  is  acting  as  guide  can  see 
better  in  the  darkness  than  I  can,  else  we  are  safe 
to  lose  our  way,  and  may  find  ourselves  anywhere 
in  the  morning.  Confound  it !"  The  exclamation 
was  elicited  by  the  speaker  stumbling  over  a  bowlder 
and  nearly  going  on  to  his  head. 

"  Silence  in  the  ranks  there  !"  an  ofiicer  said  close 

by. 

Each  regiment  was  followed  by  its  ammunition 
mules  and  hospital  doolies,  the  latter  being  covered 
stretchers  or  palkies  carried  by  natives ;  besides 
these  were  dandies  or  chairs  slung  upon  mules. 
This  greatly  added  to  the  difficulty  of  a  night 
march ;  for  even  in  the  daytime  the  presence  of 
baggage  animals  in  a  column  upon  a  narrow  road 
greatly  hinders  the  troops,  and  at  night  the  delays 
occasioned  by  them  are  naturally  very  much  greater. 
For  the  first  three  and  a  half  miles  the  column 
marched  away  from  the  enemy  upon  the  khotal, 
and  the  surprise  of  the  soldiers  increased  at  every 
step  they  took. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  they  arrived  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Peiwar.     Here  they  turned  to  the  left,  and 


162  ^OR  NAMU  and  FAMK 

after  crossing  several  ravines  and  stony  water- 
courses arrived  on  a  cultivated  terrace  and  kept 
along  this  till  they  reached  a  very  stiff  nullah 
twenty  feet  deep.  The  night  was  bitterly  cold,  the 
bank  of  the  nullah  was  extremely  slippery,  and  the 
boulders  in  the  water-course  below  coated  with  ice ; 
the  difficulty  of  getting  the  loaded  animals  across  in 
the  darkness  was  therefore  very  great.  The  pas- 
sage of  the  various  water-courses  caused  great 
delays,  and  it  was  difficult  to  keep  the  column  to- 
gether in  the  dark.  At  each  passage  the  rear  was 
immensely  delayed  while  the  leading  troops  were 
passing,  and  these  again  had  to  be  halted  while 
those  behind  them  struggled  over  the  difficulties. 

The  men  suffered  much  from  cold,  as  the  pace 
was  so  slow  that  they  could  not  warm  themselves, 
and  the  mounted  officers  specially  suffered  in  their 
hands  and  feet.  At  midnight  the  ravine  leading 
up  to  the  Spingawi  Pass  was  reached ;  but  so  dark 
was  it  that  the  Second  Punjaubees,  separated  by  a 
few  yards  from  the  regiment  in  front  of  them, 
marched  straight  on  instead  of  turning  up  it ;  and 
the  Twenty-second  Pioneers  and  the  four  artillery 
guns  carried  on  elephants,  being  behind  them, 
naturally  went  astray  also. 

Brigadier-General  Thelwell,  who  commanded  the 
column,  was  at  the  head  of  his  brigade,  and  was  for 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  163 

some  time  unaware  of  the  absence  of  two  of  his 
regiments ;  but  after  halting  and  finding  that  they 
did  not  come  up,  sent  back  a  mounted  officer,  who, 
after  a  two-mile  ride,  came  up  with  the  missing 
troops  and  guided  them  back  to  the  point  where 
they  had  left  the  route. 

From  the  foot  of  the  ravine  to  the  top  of  the  pass 
is  six  miles  in  distance ;  and,  dark  as  it  was  in  the 
open,  it  was  still  more  so  in  the  ravine  shadowed  by 
the  steep  hills  on  either  side.  As  the  ascent  con- 
tinued the  road  became  worse,  the  bowlders  being 
larger,  and  the  holes  and  dried-up  pools  deeper. 
The  darkness  and  the  prevailing  white  color  of  the 
stones  prevented  the  difference  of  level  being  ob- 
served, and  many  of  the  men  had  heavy  falls,  as  the 
steep  sides  of  these  pools  were  often  from  two  to 
four  feet  deep. 

After  marching  for  a  mile  and  a  half  up  the 
ravine  the  report  of  a  rifle  was  heard  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Twenty-ninth  Punjaubees,  who  were  leading 
the  column,  followed  instantly  by  another  dis- 
charge. Colonel  Gordon,  commanding  the  regiment, 
halted,  and  he  and  the  general  tried  in  vain  to  dis- 
cover who  had  fired.  No  one  could  or  would  iden- 
tify them,  and  this  seemed  clearly  to  prove  that  the 
rifles  had  been  fired  as  a  signal  to  the  enemy,  for 
they  had  not  been  loaded  before  the  column  started. 


164  ^OR  NAME  AND  PAMS!. 

The  Punjaubee  regiments  contained  many  hill 
tribesmen — men  closely  connected  by  ties  of  blood 
and  religion  with  the  enemy  whom  they  were 
marching  to  attack.  A  non-commissioned  officer 
and  several  of  the  men  who  were  just  about  the 
spot  where  the  guns  had  been  fired  were  placed 
under  arrest  and  sent  back.  It  was  afterward  found 
that  two  of  their  rifles  had  been  discharged,  and 
the  men  who  fired  and  their  non-commissioned  offi- 
cer were  tried  by  court-martial  for  treachery,  and 
were  hung. 

After  these  men  had  been  sent  back,  the  Fifth 
Goorkhas,  the  company  of  Rangers,  and  two  com- 
panies of  the  Seventy -second,  passed  the  Twenty- 
third  Punjaubees  and  took  their  places  at  the  head 
of  the  column.  In  the  course  of  the  march  a  good 
many  other  men  of  the  Twenty-third  left  the  col- 
umn in  the  dark  and  made  their  way  back  to  camp. 
It  turned  out  afterward  that  the  Afghan  sentries  at 
the  top  of  the  pass  heard  the  reports  and  woke  up 
the  commander  of  the  post,  who,  hearing  no  further 
cause  of  alarm,  took  no  action  in  the  matter. 

Had  the  traitors  waited  until  the  column  was 
within  a  mile  of  the  top  of  the  pass,  the  Afghans 
would  assuredly  have  taken  the  alarm ;  but,  firing 
at  a  distance  of  four  and  a  half  miles,  they  failed  in 
the  desired  effect.     The  advance  was  resumed  up 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  165 

the  bed  of  the  stream  for  another  mile  and  a  half. 
About  three  in  the  morning  the  main  water-course 
was  quitted,  the  road  now  entering  a  ravine  to  the 
left,  up  which  three  miles  further  on  was  the  sum- 
mit of  the  pass.  The  column  continued  its  weary 
way  up  the  ravine,  slowly  stumbling  along  in  the 
dark. 

One  incident  occurred  in  this  part  of  the  road 
showing  the  necessity  in  night  marching  for  the 
regiments  to  keep  close  to  each  other.  In  one  place 
a  fir-covered  island  lay  in  the  middle  of  the  ravine, 
the  torrent's  bed  lying  on  either  side  of  it.  "When 
the  two  companies  of  the  Seventy-second.  Highland- 
ers, who  had  been  following  close  to  that  of  the 
Rangers,  came  to  the  spot  they  were  surprised  to 
find  that  the  troops  in  front  had  suddenly  vanished. 
No  explanation  could  be  given  as  to  the  cause  of 
this  disappearance,  so  the  company  were  halted 
until  the  mystery  w^as  solved.  The  leading  regi- 
ment had  taken  the  passage  to  the  right  of  the 
island,  while  the  Seventy-second  had  gone  to  the 
left,  the  separation  of  the  roads  being  unnoticed  in 
the  dark.  Had  the  roads  diverged  instead  of  re- 
uniting, much  inconvenience  might  have  been 
caused  by  the  delay  in  collecting  the  separated  por- 
tions of  the  force. 

At  last  the  foot  of  the  khotal  was  reached,  where 


166  VOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  track  left  the  ravine  and  turned  up  the  spur. 
The  two  guides,  natives  of  the  country,  who  had  led 
the  head  of  the  column  to  this  point,  refused  to  go 
any  further ;  and  as  the  column  was  now  at  the 
point  where  the  fighting  might  begin,  the}'  were 
allowed  to  depart.  It  was  about  six  o'clock  when 
the  Goorkhas  began  to  climb  the  spur.  The  morn- 
ing had  broken,  but  it  was  still  dark,  and  the  path 
was  almost  invisible  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees. 

The  Goorkhas,  their  rifles  loaded  now,  made  their 
way  quieth'  up  the  hill.  Presently  the  challenge  of 
the  sentry  was  heard,  followed  by  two  shots.  It 
was  a  relief  to  the  men,  after  ten  hours  of  weary 
stumbling  along  in  the  cold  and  darkness,  to  know 
that  they  were  at  length  face  to  face  with  their  foe. 
Cold  and  fatigue  were  at  once  forgotten,  and  with 
eves  strained  through  the  darkness,  and  rifles  readv 
for  use,  every  man  pressed  forward.  Fifty  yards 
up  the  hill,  behind  the  sentry  who  had  fired,  was 
the  first  stockade  of  the  enem}^  formed  by  several 
large  trees,  which  had  been  felled  so  as  to  cora- 
pletel}'  block  up  the  road,  presenting  an  obstacle  oc 
about  eight  feet  high  to  the  attacking  force.  The 
Afghan  pickets  lining  the  stockade  poured  a  volley 
into  the  Goorkhas,  who,  led  by  Major  Fitzhugh  and 
Captain  Cook,  made  a  rush  at  the  place. 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  fierce  fight  at  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  167 

trees ;  but  as  fresh  assailants  momentarily  poured 
up,  the  obstruction  was  scaled,  and  the  Afghans  re- 
tired on  a  second  stockade  eighty  yards  back.  Here 
another  stand  was  made,  but  the  spur  being  a  little 
wider,  the  Goorkhas  were  able  to  work  round,  and 
taking  the  defense  in  flank  soon  drove  the  Afghans 
back.  Beyond  this  point  the  ground  was  clear  of 
trees,  and  the  road  ran  in  short  zigzags  up  the  steep 
hill  to  the  breastwork  which  lined  the  edge  of  the 
top  zigzag. 

A  mountain  gun  at  this  point  swept  the  approach 
to  the  position,  while  the  hill  at  its  back  was  now 
covered  w4th  Afghans,  who  opened  a  heav}'^  fire  upon 
the  troops  as  in  the  dim  morning  light  they  issued 
from  the  trees.  By  the  time  that  the  Goorkhas  and 
the  Eangers  had  cleared  the  second  stockade  the 
wing  of  the  Seventy-second  Highlanders,  ascending 
by  the  right  flank,  had  made  their  way  up  to  the  front, 
and  the  whole  now  advanced  together.  As  quickly 
as  possible  they  pushed  up  the  hill  under  the  heavy 
fire  of  the  enemy.  The  latter  fought  well,  and  a 
number  of  them  were  killed  before  retiring.  At  the 
defense  erected  at  the  top  of  the  zigzag  so  obsti- 
nately did  the  Afghans  in  front  hold  their  ground 
that  their  comrades  behind  were  enabled  to  remove 
their  mountain  gun. 

To  the  right  of  the  enemy's  position  was  a  knoll, 


168  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

and  the  Seventy-second  at  once  took  possession  of 
this,  and  two  mountain  guns  were  brought  up  to 
their  assistance.  The  Afghans  were  seen  in  great 
numbers  in  the  broken  ground  ahead.  The  Goor- 
khas  and  the  little  body  of  Rangers  pushed  on  against 
them.  Presentl}'  the  enemy  gathered  and  made  a  rush 
down  upon  them,  and  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  fight 
took  place  for  a  few  minutes.  The  men  were  scat- 
tered among  the  trees,  and  each  fought  for  himself. 
William  Gale  had  just  reloaded  his  rifle  when  he 
saw  Captain  Herbert,  who  commanded  his  com- 
pany, fall  to  the  ground,  and  three  Afghans  spring 
forward  to  finish  him.  With  a  bound  Will  reached 
the  side  of  the  ofRc^^r.  Two  of  the  Afghans  had 
already  discharged  their  pieces,  the  third  leveled 
and  fired.  So  close  was  he  that  the  flash  almost 
burned  the  soldier's  face,  and  he  felt  a  sharp  pain  as 
if  a  hot  iron  had  passed  across  his  cheek.  In  an 
instant  he  shot  his  assailant  dead,  and  then  with 
bayonet  stood  at  bay  as  the  other  two  Afghans 
rushed  upon  him.  They  had  drawn  their  tulwars 
and  slashed  fiercely  at  him;  but  he  kept  them  off 
with  his  bayonet  until  a  Goorkha,  running  up,  cut 
down  one  of  them  with  his  kookerie,  a  heavy  sword- 
like knife  which  the  Goorkhas  carry,  and  which 
they  always  employ  in  preference  to  the  bayonet  in 
fighting  at  close  quarters.  The  remaining  Afghan 
at  once  took  to  flight. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  169 

The  Twenty-ninth  Punjaubees  had  now  come  into 
action,  and  the  Afghans,  disheartened  at  the  loss  of 
their  position,  fell  back  and  withdrew  into  the 
woods  which  cover  the  plateau.  At  half-past  seven 
o'clock  the  whole  force,  except  the  elephant  guns, 
had  reached  the  plateau ;  and  General  Koberts  was 
able  to  flash  the  news  of  the  successful  capture  of 
the  enemy's  first  position  to  Brigadier-General 
Cobbe,  who  was  in  command  of  the  force  which 
was  to  operate  direct  against  the  Peiwar  Khotal.  A 
rest  was  given  the  troops  after  their  long  march, 
and  at  half-past  nine  they  again  fell  in  for  the  at- 
tack upon  the  pine-covered  slopes  in  the  direction 
of  the  Peiwar  Khotal.  How  strong  were  the  enemy 
who  might  be  lurking  there  they  knew  not.  But  it 
was  certain  that  he  would  fight  obstinately,  and  in 
so  dense  a  forest  much  of  the  advantage  gained  by 
drill  and  discipline  is  lost. 

A  change  was  made  in  the  order  of  the  advance. 
The  troops  who  had  before  led  the  advance  and  had 
done  the  fighting  were  now  placed  in  the  rear,  and 
the  Twenty-third  Pioneers  led  the  way,  followed  by 
the  Second  and  Twenty-ninth  Punjaubees.  The 
column  crossed  the  plateau  without  opposition,  and 
began  the  ascent  toward  the  enemy's  position  in 
the  woods.  Considerable  caution  was  needed,  as 
no  one  had  any  knowledge  of  the  country,  and  all 


170  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

were  ignorant  of  the  position  and  numbers  of  the 
enemy,  who  might,  for  aught  they  knew,  be  mass- 
ing in  great  numbers  for  an  attack  upon  the  front 
or  one  of  the  flanks.  The  line  of  skirmishers  en- 
tered the  pine  wood  near  the  rocky  hillside,  and  a 
rolling  fire  of  musketry  soon  told  that  they  were 
engaged  from  end  to  end  of  the  line.  It  was  slow 
work,  for  fallen  trees,  rocks,  and  bushes  everywhere 
hampered  the  advance.  Still  the  skirmishing  line, 
reenforced  from  behind,  pushed  forward  steadily, 
and  presently  cleared  the  Afghans  off  the  hillside. 

When  the  troops  reached  the  top  they  found  a 
valley  in  front  of  them,  and  from  the  woods  on  the 
opposite  side  so  heavy  a  musketry  fire  vras  ke})t  up 
that  it  was  evident  the  Afghans  intended  to  make 
a  desperate  stand  here.  The  valley,  or  rather 
ravine,  was  a  narrow  one  :  fifty  yards  wide  at  its 
foot,  and  scarce  three  times  as  much  from  brow  to 
brow.  The  enemy,  hidden  among  the  trees,  could 
not  be  made  out  except  by  their  continual  fire. 
They  did  not  content  themselves,  however,  with 
the  mere  defense  of  their  side  of  the  hill,  but  from 
time  to  time  large  numbers  charged  down  and  tried 
to  force  their  way  up  that  held  by  the  British. 

Each  time,  however,  when  they  attempted  this 
the  Punjaubees  drove  them  back  with  slaughter. 
It  was  clear  that  the  Afghans  were  in  great  num- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  171 

bers,  for  their  line  extended  for  a  mile  and  a  half 
along  the  hillside.  Major  Anderson,  of  the  Twenty- 
third  Pioneers,  after  repulsing  one  of  these  attacks, 
led  four  companies  to  the  assault  of  the  Afghan 
position,  and  drove  the  enemy  back  for  some  little 
distance  ;  but  Major  Anderson  fell  and  the  party 
retired. 

Colonel  Curry,  who  commanded  the  regiment, 
again  led  the  men  forward,  and  for  a  time  a  hand- 
to-hand  fight  took  place.  For  two  hours  the  rifle 
contest  continued  without  cessation.  The  storm  of 
bullets  was  tremendous,  but  no  very  great  execution 
was  done  on  either  side,  both  parties  lying  behind 
the  shelter  of  trees.  So  far  no  advantage  had  been 
gained  by  the  British,  and  General  Roberts  felt 
that,  with  the  force  under  his  command,  it  would 
be  rash  to  attempt  to  carr}^  so  strong  a  position  held 
by  a  greatly  superior  force.  In  the  mean  time  the 
attack  upon  the  Peiwar-Khotal  from  the  valley  had 
commenced.  Before  daylight  Brigadier-General 
Cobbe,  with  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry  and  the 
Eighth  liegiment,  left  camp,  his  object  being  to  co- 
operate with  the  flank  attack.  The  Eighth  Eegiraeut 
moved  directly  toward  the  pass,  while  the  Fifth 
Punjaubees  climbed  one  of  the  principal  spurs  be- 
tween the  Peiwar  and  Spingawi  khotals. 

The  ascent  was  extremely  difficult,  and  it  took 


172  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  troops  six  hours  to  reach  the  summit.  During 
the  last  portion  of  the  ascent  they  came  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy.  When  near  the  summit  Major 
Macqueen,  of  the  Fifth  Punjaubees,  saw  through  an 
opening  in  the  pine  wood  the  Afghan  camp,  with 
their  baggage  animals,  which  were  placed  for  shelter 
in  the  glade  behind  the  Peiwar  Khotal.  Two 
mountain  guns  were  at  once  brought  up  and  a  fire 
opened  upon  the  Afghan  camp.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  tents  caught  fire,  the  animals  stampeded  in  all 
directions,  and  the  enemy  in  front,  seized  with  a 
panic,  began  rapidly  to  retreat.  The  Afghan  troops 
facing  General  Roberts'  column,  when  they  found 
their  comrades  on  their  right  retreating,  began  to 
draw  off,  and  the  fire  sensibly  diminished. 

The  movement  was  accelerated  by  the  four  ele- 
phant guns,  which  had  at  length  come  up,  opening 
fire  into  the  pine  wood  forest.  As  the  fire  slack- 
ened, a  reconnaissance  of  the  hill  was  made  by 
General  Roberts  and  his  stafif ;  but  the  result 
showed  that  the  mountain  was  so  covered  with 
pines  and  brushwood  that  it  formed  an  almost  im- 
])enetrable  barrier  to  the  advance  of  troops,  for  the 
growth  was  so  thick  that  it  was  impossible  to  say 
in  which  direction  any  movement  should  be  made. 
"The  experience  gained  in  the  last  six  hours  of  hard 
fighting  had  shown  how  difficult  it  was  to  keep 


POR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  1 73 

command  over  troops  scattered  along  a  front  of 
half  a  mile  long  in  the  forest  where  nothing  could 
be  seen  beyond  a  radius  of  a  few  yards. 

The  general  therefore  determined  to  desist  from 
the  attempt  to  force  his  way  direct  to  the  top  of  the 
Peiwar  Khotal,  and  to  march  to  his  left,  and  so  by 
menacing  the  Afghan  line  of  retreat  to  hasten  the 
movement  toward  the  rear  which  had  evidently 
begun.  The  men  were  therefore  brought  back  to 
the  plateau  to  the  east  of  the  ravine.  ' 

Here  they  were  halted  for  a  time,  and  the  con- 
tents of  their  haversacks  furnished  them  with  a 
meal.  At  two  o'clock  they  again  drew  up  on  the 
Spingawi  plateau.  The  Second  Punjaub  Infantry 
being  left  on  the  hill  to  oppose  the  Afghans  should 
they  again  advance  in  that  direction,  the  rest  of  the 
column  entered  the  defile  leading  into  the  Hurriab 
Yalley,  far  in  the  rear  of  the  Peiwar  Khotal. 

As  soon  as  the  enemy,  who  were  still  opposing 
the  Second  Punjaub  Infantry,  saw  the  head  of  the 
column  enter  the  defile  they  were  seized  with  a 
panic  lest  their  retreat  should  be  cut  off,  and  began 
to  retreat  with  the  greatest  haste,  as  they  had  to 
make  their  way  across  two  mountain  ridges  before 
they  could  pass  the  spot  toward  which  our  troops 
were  moving.  The  advance  of  the  column,  how- 
ever, was  necessarily  slow,  as  the  woods  and  side 


174  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

valleys  had  to  be  carefully  examined  lest  a  flank  at- 
tack should  be  made  upon  them. 

In  two  hours  the  head  of  the  column  emerged 
from  the  forest  on  to  the  open  slopes  above  the 
highest  cultivated  point  in  the  Hurriab  Yalley.  It 
was  now  four  o'clock.  The  short  December  day 
was  drawing  to  a  close  ;  no  enemy  were  in  sight,  for 
their  line  of  retreat  was  hidden  in  the  bed  of  the 
stream  a  couple  of  miles  further  on,  and  no  one 
knew  where  they  were  to  be  found.  The  troops 
were  much  exhausted  with  the  want  of  rest  and 
with  their  heavy  work,  for  they  had  now  been 
marching  and  fighting  for  eighteen  hours,  and  they 
were  glad  to  receive  the  order  to  bivouac,  although 
they  had  no  tents  or  food,  and  the  cold,  as  might  be 
expected  on  a  winter  day  at  an  elevation  of  over 
nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  began  to  be  very 
severe. 

A  number  of  the  nearest  trees  were  felled  by  the 
pioneers,  and  huge  fires  were  soon  alight.  There 
was  still  some  uneasiness,  as  no  one  knew  where 
the  force  under  General  Cobbe  was,  or  whether  the 
attack  on  the  Peiwar  Khotal  had  been  successful 
or  not. 

While  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry  had  been  mount- 
ing the  spur  half-way  between  the  Peiwar  and  the 
Spingawi  khotals,  the  Eighth  Kegiment  had  moved 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME,  175 

directly  upon  the  pass.  The  Afghans,  who  had  ex- 
pected an  attack,  had  remained  under  arms  until 
three  in  the  morning,  when,  hearing  no  sounds  in 
our  camp,  they  had  been  dismissed  to  rest. 

Three  guns  of  the  Royal  Artillery  and  two  of  the 
Royal  Horse  Artillery  took  up  their  post  eight 
hundred  yards  in  front  of  our  camp,  where  their 
fire  at  the  crest  of  the  pass  would  assist  the  ad- 
vance of  the  Eighth.  These,  after  two  hours'  march, 
found  themselves  at  seven  in  the  morning  on  the 
last  spur,  which  is  separated  from  the  Peiwar  Khotal 
by  a  deep  ravine.  When  it  became  daylight  a  few 
minutes  later  the  enemy  caught  sight  of  our  artil- 
ler}'  in  the  valley,  and  at  once  opened  fire.  Al' 
though  they  had  six  field-pieces  at  the  top  of  the 
hill,  only  three  had  been  placed  in  position  to  com- 
mand the  valley  and  the  ascent,  and  the  mountain 
battery  which  had  arrived  the  afternoon  before  was 
not  brought  to  the  front. 

The  three  field-pieces  and  the  mountain  gun  on 
the  spur  kept  up  a  continuous  fire  on  our  battery  of 
five  guns.  These  were,  however,  almost  beyond 
their  range,  and  but  little  damage  was  done.  On 
our  side  the  fire  was  chiefly  directed  against  the 
mountain  gun  at  the  end  of  the  spur,  and  at  any 
bodies  of  men  who  showed  themselves. 

The  artillery  duel  went  on  for  four  hours,  and  in 


176  POttl^AMSlANDPAME. 

the  mean  time  the  infantry  were  engaged  sharply 
with  the  Afghans.  These  had  taken  up  their  posi- 
tion in  the  woods  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravine, 
a1id  kept  up  a  continuous  fire  upon  the  Eighth.  The 
distance,  however,  was  too  great  for  much  execu- 
tion on  either  side,  especially  as  both  parties  were 
sheltered  in  the  woods. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  Afghans  w^ere  seen  gather- 
ing in  strength,  as  if  to  come  down  across  the  road 
leading  up  to  the  khotal  to  attack  the  Eighth  in  the 
rear.  A  squadron  of  the  Eighteenth  Bengal  Cavalry 
charged  up  the  valley,  and  the  enemy  retired  up  the 
hill  again ;  and,  seeing  that  they  could  not  cross 
the  road  without  the  chance  of  being  cut  up  by 
the  cavalry,  they  did  not  try  to  repeat  the  experi- 
ment. 

At  eleven  o'clock  Brigadier-General  Cobbe  was 
wounded  in  the  leg,  and  Colonel  Barry-Drew  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  command,  receiving  the  orders 
which  had  been  given  to  General  Cobbe  that  the 
khotal  was  not  to  be  attacked  till  there  was  some 
evidence  that  the  flank  attack  had  shaken  the  ene- 
my's defense  in  front. 

At  twelve  o'clock,  the  guns  with  the  Second  Pun- 
jaub  Infantry  alarmed  the  Afghans  by  their  fire  upon 
the  camp,  and  although  the  Afghan  guns  in  front 
kept  up  their  fire,  the  musketry  fire  decreased  con- 


mR  NAMJS  AND  PaMW.  177 

siderably.  Seeing  this,  Colonel  Drew  ordered  the 
artillery  to  be  brought  up  nearer.  When,  after 
advancing  three  hundred  yards,  the}'^  came  to  a 
ravine  crossing  the  road,  the  Afghans,  who  had 
come  down  the  hill  to  meet  them,  opened  a  heav^y 
fire ;  and  the  road  being  narrow,  only  the  leading 
gun  could  come  into  action.  However,  the  two  com- 
panies of  the  Eighth,  which  were  acting  as  an  escort 
to  the  guns,  advanced  in  skirmishing  order,  and 
drove  the  Afghans  up  the  hill.  The  panic  among 
the  Afghans  on  the  plateau  having  now  spread  to 
the  troops  at  the  khotal,  their  fire  entirely  ceased, 
and  the  Eighth  Kegiment  descended  the  defile,  and 
began  to  climb  the  path  to  the  khotal.  Not  a 
hostile  shot  was  fired,  and  at  half-past  two  they 
reached  the  enemy's  camp,  which  they  found  de- 
serted. 


178  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  XL 


A   PKI80NEB. 


The  panic  which  had  seized  the  Afghans  when 
they  found  their  retreat  menaced  had  been  thor- 
ough and  complete,  and  when  the  Eighth  Regiment 
entered  the  camp  they  found  that  the  tents  were 
standing,  food  had  been  left  ready  cooked,  and 
every  possession  had  been  abandoned.  In  the 
artillery  camp  the  gunners  had  left  their  silver- 
mounted  brass  helmets  and  caps,  as  well  as  their 
guns  and  carriages.  A  body  of  friendly  Turis  had 
accompanied  the  column  making  a  demonstration 
on  its  flank,  and  these  arriving  upon  the  spot 
plundered  the  Afghan  camp  of  everything  of  the 
smallest  value. 

No  one  knew  what  had  become  of  the  main  body 
under  General  Roberts. 

The  Bengal  cavalry  scouted  for  some  distance  in 
advance,  but  found  no  signs  of  the  enemy.  Strong 
pickets  were  set  in  case  the  Afghans  should  rally 
and  return.    The  tents  were  brought  up  from  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  179 

camp  below,  fires  were  lit,  and  the  Eighth  encamped 
for  the  night.  In  the  morning  communication  was 
established  between  the  two  camps,  and  it  having 
been  ascertained  that  the  enemy  had  fled  in  the 
greatest  disorder  toward  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass 
leading  down  to  Cabul,  there  was  no  prospect  of 
further  fighting.  The  Afghans  had  abandoned  all 
their  guns,  and  even  thrown  away  a  great  quantity 
of  muskets,  in  their  rapid  retreats.  Great  stores  of 
flour  and  other  provisions  were  discovered  in  the 
various  villages  and  were  divided  among  the 
troops. 

The  winter  was  now  setting  in,  and  the  Shatur- 
gardan  Pass  might  any  moment  be  closed  by  deep 
snow  ;  there  was  therefore  no  prospect  of  a  renewal 
of  hostilities  before  the  spring.  Preparations  were 
made  for  hutting  a  regiment  on  the  top  of  the 
khotal.  The  rest  of  the  force  were  to  winter  at 
Khuram.  General  Koberts,  with  an  escort  of 
cavalry,  rode  to  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass,  and 
assured  himself  that  the  whole  of  the  Afghan  army 
had  fled  beyond  this  point. 

The  troops  were  for  some  time  kept  hard  at  work 
lowering  the  captured  guns  and  ammunition  down 
to  the  valley.  A  portion  of  the  troops  advanced  as 
far  as  Alikheyl,  the  principal  town  of  the  plateau. 
The   Jajis,   the   inhabitants   of  the   country,    had 


180  J^'Olt  NAME  AND  FAMlS. 

hitherto  been  extremely  hostile  ;  but,  cowed  by  th6 
defeat  of  the  Afghans,  they  submitted  without 
resistance. 

On  the  12th  all  the  preparations  for  the  return 
were  complete.  It  was  known  that  there  was 
another  pass  from  Alikheyl  into  the  Khuram  Valley 
by  the  south  :  this  had  never  been  explored  by  any 
European,  but  General  Roberts  determined  to 
return  by  it  with  a  portion  of  his  force,  as  the  pass 
might  be  found  valuable  in  future  operations.  The 
force  detailed  for  the  march  through  the  Sappir 
defile  w^as  composed  of  the  Eighth  Goorkhas,  a  wing 
of  the  Seventy-second  Highlanders,  a  compan}'  of 
the  Korfolk  Rangers,  the  Twenty-third  Punjaub 
Pioneers,  and  a  mountain  battery. 

The  country  through  which  the  march  was  to  be 
made  was  inhabited  by  the  Mongals,  a  turbulent 
robber  tribe.  The  column  marched  at  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  after  their  down  march  arrived  at 
the  village  of  Sappir  at  mid-day.  The  road  lay 
down  the  Hurriab  River  till  the  KhuraiL.  River  was 
reached,  and  then  along  the  right  bank,  passing 
through  the  village  of  Kermana,  after  which  it 
turned  up  a  narrow  road  for  two  miles,  till  an  open 
plateau  was  reached,  at  the  further  end  of  which 
stood  the  village  of  Sappir.  It  was  reported  here 
that  the  Mongals  intended  to  defend  a  defile  and 


FOR  NAMR  AND  FAME.  181 

hill  pass  two  miles  further  on.  The  Twenty-third 
Pioneers  were  therefore  pushed  on  to  occupy  the 
pass  and  bivouac  there ;  the  remainder  of  the 
troops  camped  in  the  village. 

No  signs  of  the  enemy  were  seen  either  by  the 
Twenty-third  Pioneers  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
camp.  The  troops  were  to  march  at  three  in  the 
morning  and  the  tents  were  struck  an  hour  after 
midnight.  The  track  up  the  pass  was  excessively 
steep  and  very  difficult  for  the  camels.  The  cold 
was  bitter,  and  in  places  where  water  had  crossed 
the  road  there  were  slippery  surfaces  of  ice,  which 
hindered  the  camels  considerably,  and  it  was  past 
eight  o'clock  before  the  rear-guard  arrived  at  the 
top  of  the  pass.  From  a  commanding  position 
overlooking  the  defile  and  surrounding  waste  of 
rugged  and  barren  mountains  not  an  enemy  could 
be  seen,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  report  of  the  in- 
tended attack  was  a  false  one.  The  troops  now 
began  to  descend  the  defile,  which  was  known  as 
the  Manjiar  Pass.  Troublesome  as  the  ascent  had 
been,  the  descent  was  infinitely  more  so ;  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  the  camels  could  be  made 
to  go  down  the  deep  and  slippery  roads. 

The  gorge  was  five  miles  in  length.  The  track 
for  the  first  part  ran  through  a  deep  ravine  of  per- 
pendicular walls,  which  narrowed  in  places  to  a  few 


188  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

yards,  overhanging  the  path  until  they  seemed  to 
meet  and  form  a  tunnel,  through  which  it  ran. 
Had  an  attack  been  made  on  the  column  as  it 
struggled  with  its  difficulties  through  this  portion 
of  the  pass  the  result  would  have  been  disastrous ; 
for  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  place  troops 
on  the  heights  to  cover  the  advance.  Here  and 
there  side  ravines  broke  into  the  road,  in  any  of 
which  ambushes  might  have  been  laid. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  the  difficult  part  of  the 
road  had  been  passed,  and  a  comparatively  open 
valley  reached,  that  any  of  the  natives  were  seen. 
Then  a  few  men  were  observed  on  the  heights,  but 
as  they  were  supposed  to  be  shepherds  no  notice 
was  taken  of  them.  Believing  that  all  danger  of 
attack  was  now  over,  the  general  ordered  all  the 
troops,  with  the  exception  of  the  baggage-guard, 
Avhich  was  composed  of  the  Third  Goorkhas,  and  a 
few  of  the  Seventy -second  Highlanders  and  Norfolk 
Rangers,  to  march  forward  to  the  camp,  which  was 
to  be  pitched  at  a  village  called  Keraiah  in  the 
open  valley.  This,  as  the  result  proved,  was  a  very 
rash  move.  Before  the  head  of  the  column  had 
extricated  itself  from  the  ravine  numbers  of  the 
country  people  were  seen  collecting  in  small  de- 
tached parties  ;  by  degrees  they  closed  in,  and  were 
soon  within  fifty  yards  of  the  convoy. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME,  183 

Captain  Goad,  in  charge  of  the  baggage,  was 
close  to  a  small  guard  of  Seventy-second  High- 
landers, when  suddenly  a  volley  was  fired  by  the 
Mongals.  Captain  Goad  fell,  his  thigh-bone  broken 
by  a  bullet.  Sergeant  Green,  with  three  privates 
of  the  Seventy-second,  picked  him  up,  and  having 
placed  him  under  cover  of  a  rock,  turned  to  defend 
themselves.  They  were  but  four  men  against  a 
large  number,  but  they  stood  steady  ;  and,  firing 
with  careful  aim,  and  picking  off  their  men  each 
time,  they  kept  the  enemy  at  bay  until  help  arrived. 
Simultaneously  all  along  the  line  of  the  baggage 
column  the  Mongals  attacked. 

From  the  heights  on  both  sides  a  fire  was  kept 
up  while  the  more  daring  swept  down  in  parties 
upon  the  rear-guard  of  Goorkhas  commanded  by 
Captain  Powell.  The  baggage-guard  all  behaved 
with  great  steadiness,  defending  the  path  on  both 
sides,  while  the  baggage  animals  continued  their 
way  along  it. 

William  Gale  was  on  duty  with  the  party,  and 
was,  like  the  rest,  busy  with  his  rifle;  a  sergeant 
next  to  him  was  hit  in  the  leg,  and  Will,  lajnng 
down  his  rifle,  stopped  one  of  the  camels,  and  as- 
sisted the  wounded  man  to  mount  it.  The  attack 
of  the  Mongals  became  more  furious  as  they  saw 
their  anticipated  prey  escaping  them  in  spite  of  all 


184  FORNAME  AND  FAME.    . 

their  efforts;  but  their  attempts  to  close  were  in 
vain,  and  the  convoy  made  its  way  down  to  tiie 
village  with  the  loss  of  one  killed,  and  two  oflBcers 
and  eight  men  wounded.  Captain  Powell  and 
Captain  Goad  both  died  from  the  effects  of  their 
injuries. 

The  enemy's  loss  must  have  been  considerable,  as 
the  fire  of  the  troop  was  steady  and  accurate,  and 
the  distance  small.  After  a  halt  for  a  day  or  two 
the  column  marched  to  Khuram,  where  it  en- 
camped. 

Captain  Herbert  had  reported  to  the  colonel  the 
manner  in  which  Private  Gale  had  defended  him 
when  wounded  and  attacked  by  three  Afghans ;  the 
incident,  too,  had  been  observed  by  many  of  his 
comrades,  and  as  a  reward  the  young  soldier  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  corporal ;  and  the  colonel 
told  him  that,  had  not  similar  acts  of  bravery  been 
performed  in  the  hand-to-hand  action  on  the 
Spingawi  Khotal,  he  would  have  been  mentioned 
for  the  Victoria  Cross. 

The  mountain  tops  were  now  deep  in  snow,  but 
in  the  valley  the  temperature  was  very  agreeable, 
and  the  troops  enjoyed  their  rest  much.  This  was 
not,  however,  to  be  of  long  duration.  From  the 
lower  end  of  the  Khuram  Yalley  runs  off  another 
valley  known  as  the  Khost.    This  was  an  entire- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  185 

ly  unknown  country  to  the  Europeans,  but  it  was 
said  to  be  extremely  hostile.  Parties  had  come 
down  and  carried  off  cattle ;  and  at  any  time  a 
formidable  raid  might  have  taken  place,  and  our 
line  of  communicatioh  been  entirely  cut. 

The  country  was  ruled  by  an  Afghan  governor, 
who  sent  in  to  say  that  he  was  willing  to  hand  it 
over  to  us.  There  was,  therefore,  no  expectation 
that  there  would  be  any  resistance ;  and  the  expedi- 
tion was  designed  rather  to  overawe  the  country 
and  to  obtain  information  as  to  its  extent  and  capa- 
bilities, than  with  any  idea  of  permanent  occupa- 
tion. The  column  consisted  of  a  squadron  of  the 
Tenth  Hussars,  the  Fifth  Bengal  Cavalry,  the  Twen- 
ty-'first  and  Twenty-eighth  Punjaub  Infantry,  two 
mountain  batteries,  a  wing  of  the  Seventy-second 
Highlanders,  and  two  companies  of  the  Norfolk 
Rangers.  This  force  marched  from  Hazir-pir,  and 
halted  for  the  night  at  Jaji-Midan  at  the  head  of 
the  valley  leading  to  the  Darwiza  Pass,  through 
which  the  track  runs  into  the  Khost  Valley. 

At  eight  o'clock  next  morning  the  troops  moved 
forward.  The  ground  was  difficult,  for  the  road 
ran  between  terraced  fields  on  the  side  of  the 
ravine,  and  obliged  men  and  animals  to  pass  in 
single  file  ;  it  was  not,  therefore,  until  twelve  o'clock 
that  the  rear-guard  moved  out  of  the  camp.    Be- 


186  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

yond  this  point  tlie  road  up  the  pass  was  not  dif- 
ficult ;  from  the  summit  a  wide  view  was  obtained. 
At  the  end  of  the  valley,  six  miles  distant,  the  plain 
of  the  Khost  country  was  seen.  It  was  seen  that, 
owing  to  the  slow  progress  the  troops  were  mak- 
ing, the  baggage-train,  consisting  of  one  thousand 
camels,  would  not  be  able  to  reach  the  proposed 
camping-ground  at  the  lower  end  of  the  valley  be- 
fore dark ;  the  general,  therefore,  ordered  it  to  halt 
at  the  top  of  the  pass,  where  the  ground  was  open. 
The  Twenty-first  Punjaubees  and  a  mountain  bat- 
tery were  to  stay  there  for  its  protection,  and  bring 
it  on  next  day.  The  mules  with  the  regimental 
baggage  went  on  with  the  troops. 

The  column  met  with  no  opposition.  It  halted 
near  the  village  of  Bakh,  half  a  mile  from  the  foot 
of  the  hills,  where  the  valley  widened  into  a  plain 
six  miles  long  and  four  broad.  The  force  encamped 
here  on  the  4th,  to  allow  the  convoy  to  come  up. 
The  following  morning  the  column  marched  to  the 
other  end  of  the  valley,  and  the  next  day  the 
Afghan  governor  of  Matun,  the  chief  place  of  the 
Khost,  rode  in  to  welcome  the  general. 

On  the  6th  of  January  the  force  marched  to 
Matun.  They  found  that  this  fort  was  a  square- 
walled  inclosure  one  hundred  yards  each  side,  with 
circular  corner  bastions.   There  was  a  central  square 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  187 

inclosure  with  r6und  towers  at  its  angles.  As  the 
fort  was  approached,  its  garrison,  which  consisted 
of  one  hundred  local  militia,  were  formed  up  in  two 
lines  at  a  mosque  outside  the  fort.  The  general, 
with  his  staff,  rode  in,  and  a  long  interview  took 
place  between  him  and  the  governor.  The  troops 
encamped  outside;  in  the  evening  information  came 
in  from  the  villages  in  the  plain  that  large  numbers 
of  the  Mongals,  who  inhabited  the  hills,  were  medi- 
tating an  attack.  Strong  pickets  were  posted,  and 
the  night  passed  quietl3^  In  the  morning  large 
numbers  of  tribesmen  flocked  down  into  the  villages 
and  gradually  surrounded  the  camp.  At  one  o'clock 
the  troops  fell  in.  The  cavalry  were  sent  out  against 
the  enemy  in  the  northwest  direction,  followed  by 
the  Twenty -eighth  Punjaubees  and  No.  2  mounted 
battery.  The  Mongals  at  once  fell  back  to  the  hills. 
The  squadron  of  the  Tenth  Hussars  were  dis- 
mounted, and  ordered  to  skirmish  up  a  small  knoll 
to  the  west.  From  this  they  drove  the  enemy,  who 
gathered  again  on  a  spur  opposite. 

Here  they  were  charged  by  the  Fifth  Punjaub 
Cavalry,  and  fell  back  higher  up  the  ridge.  The 
mountain  guns  and  infantry  now  arrived  and  speed- 
ily drove  them  over  the  crest.  General  Roberts 
with  his  staff  rode  out  to  watch  the  skirmish  ;  and, 
soon  after  he  had  left,  the  enemy,  who  occupied  the 


188  t'OR  NAME  ANU  FAME. 

village  to  the  northeast,  showed  in  force.  Two  of 
the  mountain  guns  opened  upon  them.  On  the 
south  they  now  approached,  under  the  cover  of  the 
old  Afghan  cavalry  lines,  to  within  half  a  mile  be- 
fore being  perceived,  and  also  occupied  a  walled 
village  there.  The  other  two  guns  in  camp  shelled 
the  village,  and  soon  drove  the  enemy  out, 

"When  the  general  returned  to  camp  at  half-past 
two  he  found  the  attack  driven  off  in  all  directions, 
and  ordered  the  Twenty  first  Punjaubees,  the  Sev 
enty-second  Highlanders,  and  the  Norfolk  Eangers 
to  follow  up  the  enemy  to  the  east  and  southeast 
with  the  mountain  guns,  and  to  burn  the  villages 
which  had  sheltered  the  enemy.  The  first  village 
was  found  deserted  ;  at  another,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
behind,  the  enemy  made  a  stand,  but  were  shelled 
out,  and  the  plain  beyond  the  Matun  River  was  soon 
covered  with  fugitives.  Major  Stewart,  with  forty 
men  of  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Cavalry  who  accompanied 
the  column,  charged  four  hundred  of  them  and  cut 
down  many,  until  checked  by  the  heavy  fire  of 
matchlock  men  from  the  high  bank. 

No  more  fighting  took  place.  The  combination 
of  tribes  which  had  attacked  the  camp  were  esti- 
mated at  six  thousand  men.  Eighty  prisoners  were 
taken.  These,  two  nights  afterward,  took  advan- 
tage of  a  night  alarm  to  attempt  to  escape,  and 


FOR  ISTAME  ANr>  FAME.  igg 

attacked  the  guard.  The  attempt,  however,  was 
frustrated,  but  only  after  several  of  the  prisoners 
had  been  shot  down.  Some  days  passed  quietly. 
Reconnaissances  were  made  up  the  valley.  While 
Waiting  here  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Canda- 
har  by  General  Stewart  arrived.  Parties  of  en- 
gineers surveyed  the  country,  and  all  passed  off 
quietly. 

On  the  25th  a  portion  of  the  force  marched  back 
to  Hazir-pir.  On  the  26th  of  January  the  general 
determined  to  withdraw  this  force  altogether,  as  no 
advantage  was  gained  by  its  retention,  and  the  gar- 
rison would  be  constantly  exposed  to  the  attacks  of 
the  natives,  who  were  already  threatening  it.  The 
fort  was  handed  over  to  Sultan  Jan,  a  man  of  good 
family,  who  was  appointed  to  govern  the  Khost 
temporarily.  He  had  under  him  the  guard  of  the 
former  governor,  and  some  fresh  natives,  being  in 
all  three  hundred  men.  The  head  men  of  the  vil- 
lages were  called  together,  and  these  promised  to 
obey  his  rule.  Some,  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Mongals 
and  other  neighboring  tribes  came  in  ;  sheep  were 
given  to  them,  and  they  were  told  that,  so  long  as 
they  desisted  from  interference  in  the  valley,  no 
steps  would  be  taken  against  them. 

The  troops,  however,  had  only  made  one  day's 
march  when  a  messenger  arrived  from  Sultan  Jan, 


190  FOR  IfAME  AND  PAMiS. 

saying  that  immediately  the  troops  had  marched,  the 
Mongals  had  come  down  to  attack  the  fort.  A  strong 
party  were  therefore  marched  back  at  once.  After 
destroying  the  stores  and  setting  fire  to  the  fort 
they  drew  off  the  governor  and  marched  back  to 
camp,  the  Mongals,  although  in  great  force,  not 
venturing  to  offer  any  resistance.  On  the  return  of 
the  force  to  the  Khuram  Yalley,  a  wing  of  the 
Norfolk  Rangers  was  sent  up  to  reenforce  the 
troops  stationed  on  the  top  of  the  Peiwar  Khotal, 
as  the  Jajis  and  Mongals  had  been  gathering 
in  large  numbers,  and  threatening  an  attack  on 
that  post. 

William  Gale  was  with  his  company  stationed  at 
Alikheyl.  The  enemy  abstained  from  any  open 
attack,  but  they  often  harassed  the  sen  tries.  One 
night  "Will  was  corporal  in  charge  of  a  picket  of 
eight  men  posted  at  a  hut  hzAi  a  mile  from  the 
village.  The  object  of  the  picket  .was  to  prevent 
any  sudden  attack  being  made  upon  the  company, 
who  were  in  a  small  village  a  quarter  of  a  mile  iv 
the  rear  where  a  large  quantity  of  grain  was  stored. 
Two  men  were  posted  as  sentries  some  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  the  hut.  Will  had  visited  the 
sentrj'^  to  the  right,  and  finding  all  was  well  here 
moved  across  to  the  left. 

"Is  everything  quiet?"  he  asked  the  sentry. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAkB.  101 

"I  don't  know,  corporal.  Two  or  three  times  I 
have  thought  that  I  heard  noises,  and  twice  I  have 
challenged." 

"  What  sort  of  noise  ?" 

"  Once  it  seemed  to  be  a  crack  like  a  dried  stick 
when  some  one  treads  on  it.  The  other  time  it  was 
as  if  a  stone  had  been  dislodged." 

"I  will  wait  with  you,"  Will  said.  "Two  pairs 
of  ears  are  better  than  one." 

Again  there  was  a  slight  sound  heard. 

"I  don't  like  to  fire,"  Will  said.  "The  alarm 
would  spread  and  the  whole  camp  get  under  arras. 
There  is  something  moving,  I  am  convinced,  but  it 
may  be  only  a  stray  bullock.  I  will  go  forward 
and  see  if  I  can  make  it  out,  and  do  you  stand  ready 
to  fire  if  I  am  attacked.  After  doing  so  fall  back 
on  the  picket  at  once.  If  the  enemy  are  in  force, 
hold  the  hut  to  the  last.  In  ten  minutes  you  will 
have  help  from  the  village  behind." 

Holding  his  rifie  adv^anced,  in  readiness  to  fire, 
William  Gale  made  his  way  forward  cautiously  to- 
ward the  spot  whence  the  noise  seemed  to  proceed. 
When  he  was  some  forty  3^ards  in  advance  of  the 
sentry  a  number  of  figures  rose  suddenly  from  some 
bushes  and  fired. 

Will  fired,  and  saw  the  man  at  whom  he  aimed 
go  down;  but  at  the  same  instant  three  or  four 


192  t'OR  NAME  AND  FAMZ 

guns  were  discharged,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground 
shot  through  the  leg.  There  was  a  rush  of  men  to- 
ward him.  A  tulwar  was  waved  and  fell  with  a 
crushing  blow  on  his  shoulder,  and  he  became  in- 
sensible. When  he  recovered  consciousness  he  was 
being  carried  along,  a  man  holding  his  arms  and 
another  his  legs.  The  pain  was  excruciating,  and 
he  fainted  again,  after  hearing,  during  his  brief 
period  of  consciousness,  a  sharp  f  usilade  of  musketry, 
which  told  him  that  his  comrades  were  defending 
the  hut  against  the  enemy.  When  again  he  came 
to  his  senses  it  was  daylight.  He  was  lying  in  a 
small  room,  and  an  old  woman  was  applying  band- 
ages to  the  sword-cut  on  his  shoulder.  Although 
he  did  not  know  it,  he  was  ten  miles  from  the  spot 
where  the  attack  had  been  made.  Among  those 
who  had  taken  part  in  it  was  the  head  of  a  small 
Jaji  village  lying  behind' the  hills. 

This  chief  was  a  crafty  old  savage,  who  had  been 
desirous  of  remaining  neutral  in  the  strife.  The  de- 
termination of  his  people  to  join  in  the  attack  by 
the  tribes  had  forced  him  to  consent  to  their  so  do- 
ing. Before  starting  he  had,  however,  made  them 
swear  that  any  wounded  men  who  fell  into  their 
hands  should  not,  in  accordance  with  the  Afghan 
custom,  be  instantly  dispatched,  but  should  be 
brought  back  to  the  village.     His  intention  was  to 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  log 

have  some  hostages.  If  the  English  repulsed  the 
attack  and  in  the  spring  again  advanced  he  would 
be  able  to  prove  his  good-will  to  the  cause  by  hand- 
ing the  soldiers  whom  he  had  protected  over  to 
them. 

Upon  the  other  hand,  should  the  British  fall  back 
and  the  Afghans  advance  in  the  spring,  he  could 
hand  the  prisoners  over  to  them,  or  send  them  down 
to  Cabul  as  a  proof  that  his  people  had  fought 
against  the  British.  He  had  himself  accompanied 
his  men,  and  seeing  after  Will  had  fallen  that  he 
■was  still  living,  had  at  once  ordered  two  of  his  men 
to  carry  him  off  to  the  village. 

The  attack  upon  the  guard-house  proved  unsuc- 
cessful ;  the  six  soldiers  defended  themselves  until 
the  company  from  the  village  behind  came  up  to 
the  rescue.  Several  other  attacks  at  various  points 
took  place.  But  the  British  were  on  the  alert,  and 
the  hillsmen,  finding  that  their  enemies  were  not  to 
be  taken  by  surprise,  scattered  again  to  the  village. 
The  ball  had  fortunately  passed  through  William 
Gale's  leg  without  either  breaking  a  bone  or  cutting 
an  artery  ;  but  the  wound  in  the  shoulder  was  more 
serious,  and  the  effect  of  the  strain  upon  it  in  carry- 
ing him  brought  on  violent  inflammation  ;  fever  set 
in  with  delirium,  and  for  weeks  the  lad  lay  between 
life  and  death. 


194  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAM^. 

The  old  woman  who  nursed  him  was,  like  most 
of  her  country  people,  skilled  in  the  treatment  of 
wounds.  The  bandages  were  kept  bathed  with 
water,  snow  was  constantly  applied  to  his  head,  and 
a  decoction  of  herbs  given  him  to  drink.  His  good 
constitution  was  in  his  favor,  and  at  last  he  re- 
covered his  senses,  to  find  himself  convalescent,  but 
as  weak  as  an  infant.  In  April  the  snow  melted, 
and  the  chief,  having  by  this  time  found  that  the 
English  were  not  likely  to  advance  beyond  Ali- 
kheyl,  thought  that  it  would  best  benefit  his  interest 
to  send  his  prisoner  down  to  Cabul. 

The  ameer  was  reported  to  be  about  to  conclude 
peace  with  the  British,  and  the  chief  thought  that 
he  was  more  likely  to  receive  a  reward  from  him 
for  the  care  he  had  bestowed  upon  the  prisoner  than 
from  the  English.  Moreover,  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  send  him  into  the  English  camp  through 
the  hostile  villages,  while  no  unfavorable  comment 
would  be  incited  by  his  sending  his  prisoner  down 
to  Cabul. 

Will  Gale  was  far  too  weak  to  perform  the 
journey  on  foot ;  he  was  therefore  placed  on  a  camel. 
The  chief  himself  and  four  of  his  head  men  accom- 
panied him  as  an  escort,  and  a  week  after  the  pass 
was  open  they  started  up  the  valley  to  the  Shatur- 
gardan,  and  thence  descended-  into  the  Logan 
Valley  below  on  the  way  to  Cabul. 


POR  ^AME  Airn  ITAMIS.  195 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ADVANCE  UP  THE  KHYBER. 

Nothing  has  yet  been  said  of  the  doings  of  the 
other  columns,  that  under  General  Browne  advanc- 
ing by  the  KhyberPass  upon  Jellalabad,  that  under 
General  Stewart  by  the  Bolan  Pass  upon  Candahar, 
General  Browne's  force  had  been  gathered  at  the 
frontier  line  at  the  mouth  of  the  pass  awaiting  the 
reply  of  the  ameer  to  the  British  ultimatum.  None 
having  been  received  up  to  the  night  of  the  20th  of 
November,  the  advance  took  place  in  the  morning 
at  the  same  hour  at  which  General  Roberts  advanced 
from  Thull  in  the  Khuram  Yalley. 

The  principal  defense  of  the  Khyber  Pass  was  the 
fort  Ali-Musjid.  This  fort  stands  on  a  most  com- 
manding position  on  a  rock  jutting  out  from  the 
hillside  far  into  the  valley,  -which  its  guns  com- 
manded. It  was  flanked  by  batteries  erected  on  the 
hillsides,  and  was  a  most  formidable  position  to 
capture.  It  was  situated  about  six  miles  up  the 
valley. 


196  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMVI. 

The  force  under  General  Browne  was  divided 
into  four  brigades.  The  first,  under  General  Mac- 
pherson,  consisted  of  the  fourth  battalion  of  the  Eifle 
Brigade,  the  Twentieth  Bengal  Infantry,  the  Fourth 
Goorkhas,  and  a  mountain  battery.  These  were 
ordered  to  take  a  mountain  road,  and,  led  by  a 
native  guide,  to  make  a  long  circuit,  and  so  to  come 
down  into  the  pass  at  a  village  lying  a  mile  or  two 
beyond  Ali-Musjid. 

The  second  brigade,  under  Colonel  Tytler,  con- 
sisting of  the  first  battalion  of  the  Seventeenth 
Foot,  the  infantry  of  the  Guides,  the  First  Sikhs, 
and  a  mountain  battery,  were  also  to  take  to  the 
hills,  and  working  along  on  their  crests  to  come 
down  upon  the  batteries  which  the  Afghans  had 
erected  on  the  hillside  opposite  to  Ali-Musjid. 

The  third  brigade,  consisting  of  the  Eighty-first 
Regiment,  the  Fourteenth  Sikhs,  and  the  Twenty- 
fourth  Native  Infantry,  and  the  fourth  brigade, 
composed  of  the  Fiftj^-first  Regiment,  Sixth  Native 
Infantry,  and  the  Forty-fifth  Sikhs,  were  to  advance 
straight  up  the  valley;  with  them  was  a  mountain 
batter}^  a  battery  of  Horse  Artillery,  one  of  Royal 
Artillery,  and  a  battery  of  forty-pounders  drawn  by 
elephants. 

These  brigades  marched  forward  until  they 
reached  some  rising  ground  in  the  valley,  whence 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  197 

they  could  see  Ali-Musjid  at  a  distance  of  a  mile 
and  a  half  in  front  of  them.  The  enemy  at  once 
opened  fire.  The  gunners  in  the  fort  had  been 
practicing  for  some  weeks,  and  had  got  the  range 
with  great  accuracy,  and  their  shot 'and  shell  fell 
thick  along  the  slope.  The  column  was  therefore 
marched  back  behind  its  crest  and  there  halted; 
and  the  men  were  allowed  to  fall  out  and  eat  their 
dinners,  as  it  was  desired  that  the  flanking  columns 
of  Macpherson  and  Tytler,  which  had  very  much 
further  to  go,  should  reach  the  positions  assigned  to 
them  before  the  attack  began. 

The  artillery,  however,  took  up  their  position  on 
the  crest,  and  opened  fire  on  the  fort.  The  effect 
of  the  light  guns  was  but  slight,  but  the  forty- 
pounders  produced  considerable  effect  on  the  face 
of  the  fort.  After  a  halt  for  some  time  the  troops 
were  ordered  to  advance.  The  Forty-fifth  Sikhs 
were  first  thrown  out  upon  the  hillside,  and,  work- 
ing their  way  along  on  the  right  of  the  valley, 
opened  a  heavy  musketry  fire  against  the  Afghans 
in  the  batteries  there.  Presently  the  Plfty-first  and 
Sixth  Native  Infantry  joined  them ;  while  the 
Eighty-first,  the  Twenty-fourth,  and  Fourteenth 
Sikhs  worked  along  on  the  left. 

The  scene  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  ever 
witnessed  in  warfare.    From  the  fortress  standing 


198  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

on  the  perpendicular  rock  in  the  center  of  the  valley 
the  flashes  of  the  great  guns  came  fast  and  steadih% 
while  the  edges  of  the  rock  and  fort  were  fringed 
with  tiny  puffs  of  musketry.  From  the  rising 
ground  in  the  valley  the  smoke  of  the  British  guns 
rose  up  in  the  still  air  as,  steadily  and-  fast,  they 
replied  to  the  fire  of  the  fort.  Both  sides  of  the 
steep  hill  slopes  were  lined  with  British  infantry, 
the  quick  flash  of  the  rifles  spurting  out  from  every 
rock  and  bush ;  while  continuous  lines  of  light 
smoke  rose  from  the  Afghan  intrenchments  which 
faced  them.  Gradually  the  British  skirmishers 
advanced  until  they  were  close  to  the  Afghan  in- 
trenchments on  the  hillsides  abreast  of  the  fort. 

So  far  there  was  no  sign  that  Macpherson's 
brigade  had  reached  the  post  assigned  to  it  high  up 
on  the  hill,  or  that  Tytler  had  worked  round  to  the 
village  in  the  enemy's  rear.  Some  attacks  which 
were  made  upon  the  Afghans  were  repulsed  with 
loss.  Major  Birch  and  Lieutenant  Fitzgerald  were 
killed  and  Captain  Maclean  wounded,  and  between 
thirty  and  forty  of  the  rank  and  file  were  killed  or 
wounded.  As  the  fort  and  its  defenses  could  not 
have  been  carried  by  direct  attack  without  immense 
loss  of  life,  it  was  determined  to  cease  operations 
until  morning  in  order  to  give  the  flanking  columns 
time  to  reach   the  positions  assigned  to  them ;  a 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  199 

wing  of  a  regiment  from  each  brigade  was  ordered 
to  remain  on  the  hillside  facing  the  Afghan  in- 
trenchments ;  the  rest  of  the  troops  fell  back  a 
short  distance  and  lay  down  as  they  were  for  the 
night. 

In  the  mean  time  the  brigades  of  Macpherson  and 
Tytler  had  encountered  enormous  difficulties  on  the 
line  of  march.  The  roads  they  had  taken  were 
mere  tracks,  and  there  were  many  places  where  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  get  the  mountain  guns 
along.  From  daybreak  until  late  at  night  the 
troops  labored  unceasingly.  They  knew  by  the 
dull  roar  echoed  and  reechoed  among  the  moun- 
tains that  their  comrades  below  were  engaged  ;  and 
the  thought  that  a  failure  might  ensue,  owing  to 
their  absence  from  the  contest,  nerved  them  to  con- 
tinued exertions. 

Late  at  night  Macpherson  with  his  brigade  ar- 
rived on  the  top  of  the  hill  facing  Ali-Musjid,  and 
T^^tler  with  his  column  came  down  into  the  Khyber 
Valley  in  rear  of  the  fort.  But,  though  unopposed, 
their  march  had  not  been  unnoticed,  and  late  in  the 
evening  the  news  reached  the  Afghans  that  the 
British  were  marching  down  into  the  valley  behind 
"ihem.  A  wild  panic  instantly  seized  them.  Clothes, 
ammunition,  guns,  everything  that  could  impede 
their  flight,  were  thrown  away,  and  the  garrison  of 


200  F'On  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Ali-Musjid  and  the  Afghans  in  the  hillside  intrench- 
raents  fled,  a  herd  of  frightened  fugitives,  up  the 
valley. 

Hasty  as  was  their  retreat  they  were  not  in  time. 
Tytler  with  his  column  debouched  into  the  valley 
before  they  had  passed  the  spot  where  the  moun- 
tain path  descended  into  it,  and  large  numbers  were 
taken  prisoners.  As  at  the  Peiwar  Khotal,  the  Af- 
ghans proved  themselves  capable  of  defending  a 
strons:  position  valiantlj'^,  but  were  converted  into 
a  mob  of  panic-stricken  fugitives  by  their  line  of 
retreat  being  threatened. 

A  European  army  under  like  circumstances  would 
have  fallen  back  in  good  order.  Their  force  was 
amply  suflBcient  to  have  swept  aside  the  little  col- 
umn which  barred  their  retreat,  and  they  would 
have  occupied  a  fresh  position  further  to  the  rear 
and  renewed  the  conflict.  Not  so  the  Afghans. 
The  capture  of  Ali-Musjid  brought  with  it  the  entire 
demoralization  of  the  Afghan  array,  which  a  few 
hours  before  had  been  fully  confident  in  its  power 
to  repulse  any  attack  which  might  be  made  upon  it. 

The  British  continued  their  advance,  passed 
through  the  Khyber  Pass,  and  entered  the  broad 
valley  near  whose  head  stands  the  town  of  Jellala- 
bad.  Beyond  a  few  shots  fired  at  them  by  tribes- 
men high  up  on  the  mountain  side  they  experience^ 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  201 

no  opposition  whatever,  and  a  week  after  the  fight 
in  the  Khyber  entered  Jellalabad  and  encamped 
around  it.  Further  than  this  it  was  not  intended 
to  go  for  the  present.  Winter  was  now  close  at 
hand.  Between  Jelhilabad  and  Cabul  were  a  series 
of  most  difiicult  passes ;  an  arm}'-  advancing  up 
them  would  have  immense  difficulty  to  encounter, 
and  raiffht  find  itself  cut  off  from  India  bv  the  snows. 

In  the  Jellalabad  Valley  the  weather  is  mild,  large 
stores  of  provisions  were  obtainable,  and  here  it  was 
determined  to  remain  through  the  winter,  and  to 
recommence  the  campaign  in  the  spring  with  the 
advantage  of  the  Khyber  Pass,  one  of  the  keys  of 
Afghanistan,  being  in  our  hands.  But  a  day  or 
two  after  reaching  Jellalabad,  having  defeated  and 
dispersed  one  of  the  two  Afghan  armies,  the  news 
arrived  of  the  capture  of  the  Peivvar  Khotal,  the 
second  key  of  Afghanistan,  and  the  utter  rout  of 
the  army  defending  it.  Thus,  in  little  more  than  a 
week  after  the  commencement  of  the  campaign, 
Sheer-Ali,  the  ameer,^  saw  the  entire  overthrow  of 
the  army  which  he  had  for  so  many  years  been  oc- 
cupied in  organizing  and  training. 

The  positions  which  he  had  deemed  impregnable 
had  both  been  taken  after  a  single  day's  fighting, 
and  his  capital  lay  virtually  at  the  mercy  of  his  con- 
querors.    In  one  short  week  his  hopes  and  plans  had 


202  FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME. 

been  scattered  to  the  winds.  Sheer-Ali  was  not 
wholly  to  be  blamed.  He  had  for  many  years  re- 
ceived an  annual  present  of  money  and  arms  from 
the  British  government;  but  upon  the  other  hand 
he  saw  Russia  marching  with  giant  steps  toward 
his  northern  frontier,  and  contrasting  the  energy 
and  enterprise  of  the  great  northern  power  with  the 
inactivity  which  he  may  have  supposed  to  prevail 
among  the  men  who  governed  England,  he  became 
more  and  more  anxious,  and  asked  the  English  def- 
initely to  state  whether  he  could  rely  upon  them 
for  assistance  should  he  be  attacked  by  the  Russians. 

He  received  a  reply  from  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  the 
British  minister  for  India,  of  a  doubtful  nature, 
couched  in  terms  which  seem  to  have  aroused  his 
resentment.  From  this  moment  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  ameer's  course  was  decided  upon. 
He  was  between  the  hammer  and  the  anvil,  and  as 
he  could  obtain  no  guarantee  of  assistance  from 
England  he  determined  to  throw  himself  into  the 
arms  of  Russia. 

Letters  were  exchanged  between  him  and  General 
Kaufman n,  the  Russian  viceroy  in  Turkestan,  and 
the  latter  gave  him  the  warmest  promises  of  support 
if  he  would  ally  himself  with  Russia. 

Although  he  had  for  years  declined  to  accept  a 
British  resident  at  Cabul  or  to  allow  Englishmen  to 


VOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  203 

enter  the  country,  he  now,  believing  in  the  power 
and  willingness  of  Russia  to  help,  received  the  visit 
of  a  Russian  general  and  staff  at  Cabul. 

Unfortunately  for  the  ameer  the  government  of 
England  had  now  changed  hands,  and  the  ministry 
at  once  sent  to  Sheer-Ali  to  demand  that  he  should 
receive  a  British  resident.  It  was  late  in  the  year, 
and  the  ameer,  acting  no  doubt  on  the  advice  of  his 
Russian  friends,  sought  to  gain  time  b}'^  evasive 
answers.  The  British  government,  who  saw  through 
the  ruse,  ordered  the  envoy  to  advance  with  a  strong 
escort.  This  obliged  the  ameer  to  come  to  a  final 
decision,  and  the  die  was  cast  by  the  escort  being 
stopped  by  force  on  its  arrival  at  Ali-Musjid. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  ameer  and  his  friends 
calculated  that  it  was  already  too  late  in  the  season 
for  the  English  to  gather  a  sufficient  force  on  the 
frontier  to  force  the  passes  held  by  the  Afghan 
army  before  the  snows.  The  promptness  of  action 
of  the  English  government,  the  valor  of  their  troops, 
and  the  unusually  late  setting  in  of  the  winter  com- 
bined to  overthrow  the  ameer's  plans.  Had  the 
campaign  been  delayed  till  the  spring  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  the  British  in  their  advance  would 
have  found  themselves  opposed,  if  not  by  a  Russian 
army,  at  least  by  an  army  led  and  officered  by  Rus- 
sians,  with   Russian   engineers    and    artillerymen. 


204  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  promptness  of  their  advance  and  the  capture  of 
the  passes  and  the  dispersion  of  the  Afghan  armies 
within  a  week  of  the  opening  of  the  campaign 
altogether  altered  this  position. 

Sheer- AH  found  himself  a  king  without  an  army. 
The  plains  of  Cabul  were  thronged  with  the  panic- 
stricken  fugitives  from  the  Khyber  and  Peiwar,  and 
Sheer- Ali  started  at  night  from  his  capital  with  his 
Russian  friends  and  made  for  the  north,  sending 
letter  after  letter  ahead  of  him  to  General  Kauf- 
mann  imploring  the  promised  aid  of  Russia.  The 
rapid  course  of  events,  however,  had  entirely  dis- 
concerted the  Russian  plans. 

In  the  spring  a  Russian  army  might  have  ad- 
vanced and  cooperated  with  that  of  the  omeer, 
but  the  winter  had  set  in,  the  distance  was  im- 
mense, and  the  Russians  unprepared  for  instant  ac- 
tion. The  appeals  of  the  unfortunate  prince  were 
responded  to  with  vague  generalities.  He  was  no 
longer  a  powerful  ally,  but  a  broken  instrument ; 
and  heart-broken  with  disappointment  and  failure 
the  unfortunate  Sheer-Ali  was  seized  by  fever  and 
died  in  an  obscure  village  almost  alone  and  wholly 
uncared  for.  His  son  Yakoob  Khan,  who  had  in 
his  youth  proved  himself  a  brave  and  able  soldier, 
but  who  having  incurred  his  father's  displeasure 
had  been  for  years  confined  as  a  prisoner  at  Herat, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  205 

was  now  liberated  and  took  his  place  as  his  father's 
successor.  He  saw  at  once  that  with  a  broken  and 
disorganized  army  he  could  not  hope  to  resist  the 
advance  of  the  three  British  armies  which,  coming 
from  Jellalabad,  from  the  heights  of  the  Shatur- 
gardan,  and  from  Candahar,  would  simultaneousl}'^ 
advance  upon  his  capital  as  soon  as  the  snows 
melted. 

He  therefore  opened  negotiations,  and  early  in 
May  himself  descended  from  Cabul  and  had  an  in- 
terview with  General  Browne  at  Gundamuk,  when 
the  preliminaries  of  peace  were  arranged  and 
signed.  The  terms  insisted  upon  by  the  British 
were  not  onerous.  Yakoob  was  recognized  as  the 
Ameer  of  Afghanistan  ;  the  annual  subsid}^  paid  to 
his  father  was  to  be  continued.  The  Khyber  Pass 
and  the  Khuram  Yalley  as  far  as  the  Peiwar  Khotal 
were  to  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  British,  and  a 
British  minister  was  to  be  stationed  at  Cabul. 
AVhen  peace  had  been  signed  the  greater  portion  of 
the  British  army  retired  to  India,  and  the  Khuram 
column,  leaving  two  or  three  regiments  in  that 
valley,  also  fell  back. 

While  the  first  and  second  divisions  had  been 
gaining  victories  in  the  Khyber  and  Khuram  val- 
leys, the  column  under  General  Stewart  had  met 
with  difficulties  of  another  kind. 


»a06  V'Ott  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Between  the  Indus  and  the  foot  of  the  range  of 
mountains  through  which  the  Bolan  Pass  leads  to 
the  lofty  plateau  land  above,  a  great  waste  of  sand 
stretches.  In  the  wet  season  this  tract  of  country 
is  overflowed  by  the  Indus;  in  the  dry  season  it  is  a 
parched  and  bare  desert  with  its  wells  few  and  far 
apart.  There  were  great  difficulties  met  with  in 
crossing  this  inhospitable  plain,  and  the  losses 
among  the  baggage  animals  were  great ;  but  the 
labors  up  to  this  point  were  as  nothing  to  those 
which  had  to  be  undergone  on  the  way  up  the  Bolan 
Pass. 

This  pass,  whose  ascent  occupies  three  days,  is  in 
fact  the  mere  bed  of  a  stream,  covered  deeply  with 
bowlders  and  stones  of  all  sizes,  in  which  the  bag- 
gage and  artillery  horses  sank  fetlock  deep.  The 
difficulties  encountered  were  enormous,  and  vast 
numbers  of  camels,  horses,  and  bullocks  died  by 
the  way.  Even  with  a  double  complement  of 
horses  it  was  almost  impossible  to  drag  the  guns  up 
the  deep  shingly  pass,  and  great  delays  were  ex- 
perienced before  the  force  intended  for  operations 
against  Candahar  were  assembled  at  Quettah.  So 
far  the  advance  had  taken  place  through  British 
territory,  as  Quettah  has  long  been  occupied  by  us. 

When  the  advance  began  it  was  rapid.  No 
opposition  was  experienced   by  the  way  until  the 


S'On  NAME  ANl)  PAMR  207 

column  arrived  within  a  few  hours'  march  of 
Candahar,  and  then  the  enemy's  attack  was  feeble 
and  easily  repulsed.  On  the  9th  of  January  Gen- 
eral Stewart  entered  the  city. 

Candahar,  though  not  the  capital,  is  the  chief 
town  of  Afghanistan ;  it  stands  in  a  slightly  un- 
dulating plain,  and  was  at  one  time  a  city  of 
great  importance  and  Avealth.  Its  position  is  the 
most  important  in  Afghanistan.  It  bars  the  road. to 
an  enemy  advancing  from  the  north  through  Herat, 
and  threatens  the  flank  and  rear  of  one  advancing 
against  India  through  Cabul. 

The  country  around  is  extremely  fertile,  and 
were  irrigation  properly  used  and  a  railway  con- 
structed to  India,  Candahar  and  the  surrounding 
country  would  again  become  one  of  the  gardens  of 
the  world.  The  authorities  of  the  city  made  their 
submission  as  the  column  approached  it,  and  the 
army  settled  down  to  quiet  occupation,  broken 
only  by  isolated  attacks  upon  individual  soldiers  by 
fanatical  Ghazis.  ^ 

When  peace  was  concluded  one  of  the  conditions 
distinctly  insisted  upon  by  the  British  general  and 
agreed  to  by  the  ameer  was  that  Candahar  should 
remain  in  our  possession.  The  alleged  advantage 
thus  gained,  and  the  territory  thus  acquired,  were 
afterward  abandoned  by  the  British  government 


208  l^OR  J^AME  AND  PAMW. 

succeeding  that  which  had  so  vigorously  carried  out 
the  war.  The  occupation  of  Candahar  by  the 
British  had  been  insisted  on  at  first,  on  the  ground 
that  if  Russia  should  make  an  advance  against 
India  the  British  nation  would  have  ample  cause  to 
rue  the  cession  of  Candahar,  for  it  was  declared 
that  with  this  city  strongly  fortified  and  surrounded 
by  outlying  works  ten  thousand  British  troops  there 
could  arrest  the  progress  of  an  invading  army  how- 
ever large,  until  England  had  had  full  time  to  put 
forth  all  her  strength  and  to  assemble  an  army 
amply  sufficient  to  secure  the  safety  of  the  most 
valuable  of  our  possessions — the  empire  of  India. 

It  was  said  that  whatever  allies  Eussia  might 
have  prepared  for  herself  by  intrigues  among  the 
princes  of  India,  these  would  not  think  of  moving 
so  long  as  they  knew  that  the  fortress  of  Candahar 
remained  as  a  British  bulwark  against  an  invading 
force.  It  was  represented  that  so  long  as  this 
place  held  out  England  would  be  able  to  devote  her 
whole  force  toward  repelling  the  foreign  invader, 
instead  of  being  obliged  simultaneously  to  oppose 
hira  and  to  put  down  a  formidable  rising  in  India 
itself.  It  was,  however,  not  the  universal  opinion 
that  the  best  policy  of  England  was  to  occupy  this 
territory  by  an  armed  force,  and  subsequent  events, 
with  the  change  of  government  in  England,  led  to 
a  different  determinatioav 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  209 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE   MASSACKE    AT    CABUL. 


At  each  village  through  which  "William  Gale  and 
his  escort  passed  the  inhabitants  turned  out  and 
hooted  and  yelled  at  the  prisoner,  and  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  chief  protected  him 
from  personal  violence.  William  himself  was  scarce 
conscious  of  what  was  passing.  The  swinging 
action  of  the  camel  added  to  his  great  weakness, 
and  he  would  not  have  been  able  to  keep  his  seat 
on  its  back  had  not  his  captors  fastened  him  with 
ropes  to  the  saddle.  Although  the  snow  had  only 
just  melted  on  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass,  in  the 
valleys  below  the  heat  of  the  sun  was  already 
great,  and  often  as  it  poured  down  upon  him  he 
lapsed  into  a  state  of  semi-consciousness  and  drowsily 
fancied  that  he  was  again  in  his  canoe  tossing  on 
the  tiny  waves  in  the  shelter  of  the  reef. 

On  the  sixth  day  after  the  start  a  shout  from  his 
guard  aroused  him  as  they  emerged  from  a  steep 
ascent  among  some  hills.     Before  him  an  undulating 


210  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

ground  dotted  with  villages  stretched  for  three  or 
four  miles.  At  the  foot  of  some  steep  hills  to  the 
left  of  a  wide  valley  was  a  large  walled  town  which 
he  knew  to  be  Cabul, 

On  the  hillside  above  it  was  a  strong  building, 
'half  fort,  half  palace.  This  was  the  Bala-Hissar, 
the  abode  of  the  ameer,  and  the  fortress  of  Cabul. 
In  addition  to  the  king's  residence  it  contained  bar- 
racks, store-houses,  magazines,  and  many  residences. 
Toward  this  the  cavalcade  made  its  way. 

They  halted  two  miles  from  the  town,  and  the 
chief  sent  his  son  forward  to  the  ameer  to  inform 
him  that  he  had  brought  in  an  English  prisoner, 
and  to  request  that  an  escort  might  be  sent  out  lest 
he  should  be  killed  by  the  people  on  approaching 
the  town.  An  hour  after  the  man  had  left,  a  troop 
of  cavalry  sallied  out  from  the  gate  of  the  Bala- 
Hissar  and  rode  rapidly  to  the  spot  where  the  party 
had  halted.  Surrounding  the  camel  on  which 
William  Gale .  was  mounted,  they  conducted  it  to 
the  fortress. 

When  he  was  lifted  down  from  his  camel  Will 
was  unable  to  stand.  Fever  had  set  in  again,  and 
he  was  conveyed  to  an  apartment  in  a  house  near 
the  royal  residence.  The  ameer  was  already 
negotiating  with  the  British,  and  orders  were  con- 
sequently given   that   the  prisoner   should  receive 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  211 

every  attention.  The  king's  own  doctor  was  or- 
dered to  attend  him,  and  two  attendants  were  told 
off  to  take  charge  of  him.  The  old  chief  received  a 
recompense  for  the  care  which  he  had  taken  of  the 
prisoner,  which  fully  answered  to  his  expectations, 
and  he  returned  home  well  satisfied  with  the  suc- 
cess of  his  policy. 

For  weeks  Will  lay  between  life  and  death,  and 
he  was  a  mere  skeleton  when,  two  months  after  his 
arrival,  he  was  able  for  the  first  time  to  sit  up  at  the 
window  and  look  across  the  valley.  Very  gradually 
he  recovered  strength.  He  was  well  supplied  with 
food,  and  especially  enjoyed  the  delicious  fruits  for 
which  Cabul  is  celebrated.  His  attendants  were 
an  old  man  and  his  son,  the  latter  a  lad  of  some  fif- 
teen years  of  age.  The  father  did  his  duty  because 
ordered  to  do  so,  but  his  scowling  face  often  showed 
the  hatred  which  he  felt  of  the  Kaffir.  The  lad, 
however,  took  kindly  to  his  patient.  He  it  was  who 
for  hours  together  would,  while  Will  was  at  his 
worst,  sit  by  his  bedside  constantly  changing  the 
wet  cloths  wrapped  round  his  head,  and  sometimes 
squeezing  a  few  drops  of  the  refreshing  juice  of  some 
fruit  between  his  parched  lips  ;  and  as  his  patient 
turned  the  corner  and  became  slowly  convalescent 
his  pleasure  over  the  life  he  had  saved  by  his  care 
was  very  great. 


212  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Like  most  soldiers  in  the  expeditionary  force, 
Will  had  picked  up  a  few  words  of  Afghan,  and  had 
greatly  increased  his  stock  during  the  time  he  lay 
in  the  hut  in  the  mountains.  Alone  now  all  day 
with  the  boy,  with  nothing  to  do  but  to  look  out  on 
the  town  below  and  the  wide  valley  beyond,  he 
made  rapid  progress,  and  was,  by  the  time  he  was 
strong  enough  to  walk  alone  across  the  room,  able 
to  hold  some  sort  of  conversation  with  his  friend ; 
for  so  he  had  come  to  regard  his  devoted  attendant. 
One  morning  the  boy  came  into  the  room  in  a  state 
of  great  excitement. 

"  English  officers  are  coming,"  he  said,  "  with 
soldiers." 

"  But  I  thought  it  was  peace,"  Will  exclaimed,  de- 
lighted ;  "  you  told  me  peace  had  been  signed  at 
Gundamuk  two  months  ago." 

"  Yes,  it  is  peace,"  the  boy  said  ;  "  the  officers  are 
coming  in  friendship  to  be  here  with  the  ameer." 

Will  was  greatly  moved  at  the  news.  When  he 
had  heard,  six  weeks  before,  that  peace  was  signed 
he  had  begun  to  hope  that  some  day  or  other  he 
should  again  be  able  to  return  to  India,  but  the 
news  that  some  of  his  countrymen  were  cloge  at 
hand  almost  overcame  him.  The  next  day,  which 
was  the  24:th  of  July — although  Will  had  lost  all 
account  of  time — he  saw  vast  numbers  of  people  out 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  213 

on  the  plain,  and  presently  far  away  he  beheld  a 
large  body  of  horsemen.  These,  the  lad  told  him, 
were  the  ameer  and  his  body-guard  accompanied 
by  the  English  officers. 

Cannon  were  fired  in  salute,  and  the  garrison  of 
the  Bala-Hissar  stood  to  their  arms,  and  presently 
Will  saw  a  cavalcade  riding  up  from  the  gate  of  the 
fortress.  First  came  some  Afghan  cavalry,  then 
rode  a  tall  and  stately  man  whom  the  boy  told  him 
was  the  ameer.  But  Will  had  no  eyes  for  him  ;  all 
his  thoughts  were  centered  on  the  white  officer  who 
rode  beside  him,  Major  Sir  Lewis  Cavagnari,  the 
English  envoy.  Behind,  among  the  chiefs  of  the 
ameer's  suit,  rode  two  or  three  other  English 
oflBcers,  and  then  came  a  detachment  of  some 
twenty-five  cavalry  and  fifty  infantry  of  the  Guides, 
a  frontier  force  consisting  of  picked  men. 

As  they  passed  near  his  window  Will  stood  up 
with  his  hand  to  his  forehead  in  salute.  Major 
Cavagnari  looked  up  in  surprise  and  spoke  to  the 
ameer.  The  latter  said  a  few  words  in  reply,  and 
then  the  cavalcade  rode  on  to  the  palace.  Ten 
minutes  later  two  of  the  ameer's  attendants  entered 
and  told  Will  to  follow  them. 

He  had  that  morning,  for  the  first  time  since  his 
arrival  in  Cabul,  put  on  his  uniform.  He  was  still 
very  weak,  but,  leaning  one  hand  upon  hia  attend- 


214  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

ant's  shoulder,  he  followed  the  messengers.  He 
was  conducted  to  a  large  room  in  the  palace,  where 
the  ameer  and  his  adviser  and  the  British  officers 
were  sitting. 

"  Well,  my  lad,"  Major  Cavagnari  said  kindly,  "  I 
hear  you  have  had  a  bad  time  of  it.  The  ameer 
tells  me  that  you  were  taken  prisoner  near  the  Ali- 
kheyl,  that  you  were  badly  wounded,  and  that  after 
the  snow  melted  you  were  brought  down  here.  He 
says  he  gave  orders  that  everything  should  be  done 
for  you,  but  that  you  have  been  very  ill  ever 
since." 

'•  I  have  been  treated  very  kindly,  sir,"  Will  said, 
"and  I  am  now  getting  round.  I  owe  my  life 
chiefly  to  the  care  and  attention  of  the  lad  here, 
who  has  watched  over  me  like  a  brother." 

Will's  words  were  translated  to  the  ameer,  who 
expressed  his  satisfaction,  and  ordered  a  purse  of 
money  to  be  given  to  the  boy  in  testimony  of  his 
approval  of  the  care  he  had  taken  of  his  patient.  As 
Major  Cavagnari  saw  that  the  young  soldier  was 
almost  too  weak  to  stand  he  at  once  told  him  to  re- 
tire to  his  room,  adding  kindly  : 

"  I  will  ask  the  ameer  to  assign  you  quarters  in 
the  same  house  with  us ;  we  will  soon  bring  you 
round  and  make  you  strong  and  well  again." 
The  same  evening  Will  was  carried  over — for  the 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  215 

fatigue  he  had  undergone  had  been  almost  too 
much  for  him — 'to  the  large  house  assigned  to 
Major  Cavagnari,  his  officers  and  escort.  It  was 
built  of  wood,  surrounded  by  a  court-yard  and  wall. 
A  room  was  assigned  to  Will  on  the  same  floor  as 
that  occupied  by  the  officers.  The  Afghan  lad  had 
received  orders  to  accompany  his  patient  and  re- 
main with  him  as  long  as  he  stayed  in  Cabul. 

Will's  progress  toward  recovery  was  now  rapid. 
He  had  no  longer  any  cause  for  anxiety.  He  was 
carefully  attended  to  by  Dr.  Kelly,  the  surgeon  of 
the  Guides,  who  had  accompanied  the  mission  as 
medical  officer.  Lieutenant  Hamilton  commanded 
the  escort,  and  Sir  Lewis  Cavagnari  was  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  William  Jenkyns,  of  the  Indian 
Civil  Service,  as  his  secretary.  The  care  of  Dr. 
Kelly  and  the  influence  of  quinine  and  tonics  quick- 
ly added  to  Will's  strength,  but  his  best  medicine 
was  the  sound  of  English  voices  and  the  kindness 
which  was  shown  to  him. 

In  a  fortnight  he  was  able  to  get  about  as  usual, 
and  the  doctor  said  that  in  another  month  he  would 
be  as  strong  as  ever.  For  two  or  three  weeks  after 
Major  Cavagnari's  arrival  in  Cabul  all  went  well ; 
and  it  appeared  as  if  the  forebodings  of  those  who 
had  predicted  trouble  and  danger  to  the  little  body 
who  had  gone  up,  as  it  were,  into  the  lion's  den. 


aiti  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

were  likely  to  be  falsified.  That  the  mission  was 
not  without  danger  the  authorities  and  Major  Cava- 
gnari  himself  were  well  aware ;  but  it  was  im- 
portant that  the  provision  in  the  treaty  of  Gun- 
damuk  by  which  England  secured  the  right  of 
maintaining  a  resident  at  Cabul  should  be  put  into 
operation ;  besides,  the  ameer  had  himself  given  the 
invitation  to  Major  Cavagnari,  and  had  pressed  the 
point  warmly,  giving  the  most  solemn  promises  of 
protection.  At  any  rate,  for  the  first  two  weeks  the 
soldiers  of  the  escort  moved  freely  in  the  city  with- 
out molestation  or  insult,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the 
population  of  Cabul  were  content  with  the  terms  of 
peace,  which  indeed  imposed  no  burdens  whatever 
upon  them,  and  was  supposed  to  have  inflicted  no 
humiliation  on  their  national  pride. 

On  the  5th  of  August  several  regiments  marched 
in  from  Herat.  These  troops,  which  were  con- 
sidered the  flower  of  the  Afghan  army,  had,  in 
consequence  of  the  distance  of  Herat  from  the  seat 
of  war,  taken  no  part  whatever  in  the  struggle. 
Upon  the  very  day  after  their  arrival  they  scattered 
through  the  town,  and  were  loud  in  their  expression 
of  hostility  to  the  terms  of  peace.  Had  they  been 
there,  they  said,  the  Kaffirs  would  have  been  easily 
defeated.  Why  should  peace  have  been  made  at 
the  very  first  reverse,  and  before  the  best  fighting 
men  had  come  to  the  front  ? 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  217 

That  evening  Will  Gale's  young  attendant  came 
to  him  in  his  room  looking  very  serious. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Yossouf  ?" 

The  lad  shook  his  head.  "  Trouble  is  Coming," 
he  said.  "  The  Heratee  men  are  stirring  up  the 
people,  and  the  Budmashes  are  threatening  that 
they  will  kill  the  English." 

"  But  the  ameer  has  promised  his  protection," 
Will  said  ;  "  he  has  sworn  a  solemn  oath  to  stand 
by  them." 

"  Yakoob  Khan  is  weak,"  the  boy  said  ;  "  he  was 
a  great  warrior  once,  but  he  has  been  in  prison  for 
many  years  and  he  is  no  longer  firm  and  strong. 
Some  of  the  men  round  him  are  bad  advisers. 
Yakoob  Khan  is  no  better  than  a  reed  to  lean 
upon." 

The  next  day  there  were  riots  in  the  town.  The 
Heratee  men  taunted  the  people  of  Cabul  with 
cowardice,  and  the  excitement  spread  in  the  city. 
The  soldiers  of  the  escort  could  no  longer  stroll 
quietly  through  the  bazaars,  but  were  hooted  at  and 
abused,  although  of  the  same  religion  and  race  as 
the  people  around  them — for  the  Guide  regiments 
were  recruited  from  Pathans  and  other  border 
tribes.  Day  after  day  the  position  became  more 
threatening.  The  men  of  the  escort  were  ordered 
no  longer  to  go  down  into  the  town,  where  their 
presence  was  the  occasion  of  tumults. 


218  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

• 

A  native  officer  of  one  of  our  cavalry  regiments 
who  was  spending  his  furlough  at  a  village  near 
Cabul  came  into  the  Bala-Hissar  and  told  Major 
Cavagnari  that  he  feared,  from  rumors  that  reached 
him,  that  the  Heratee  regiments  would  break  into 
mutiny  and  attack  the  embassy.  The  officer,  who 
was  a  man  of  immense  courage  and  coolness,  replied 
quietly : 

"  If  they  do,  they  can  but  kill  the  three  or  four 
of  us  here,  and  our  deaths  will  be  revenged." 

He,  however,  made  representations  to  the  ameer 
as  to  the  threatening  behavior  of  the  Heratee 
troops ;  but  Yakoob  assured  him  that  he  could  rely 
thoroughly  upon  his  protection,  and  that  even 
should  the  Heratee  troops  break  out  in  mutiny  he 
would  at  once  suppress  the  movement  with  the 
Cabul  regiments.  Yossouf  became  daily  more  anx- 
ious. Going  into  the  town  to  buy  fruits  and  other 
necessaries  he  heard  more  of  what  was  going  on 
than  could  the  members  of  the  embassy. 

"  Things  are  very  bad,"  he  said  over  and  over 
again.  "  It  would  be  better  for  you  all  to  go  away. 
Why  does  your  officer  stop  here  to  be  killed  ?" 

"  It  is  his  duty  to  stay  at  his  post,"  Will  said. 
"  He  has  been  sent  here  by  the  commander-in-chief. 
lie  is  like  a  soldier  on  outpost  duty,  he  cannot  desert 
his  post  because  he  sees  danger  approaching  ;  but  I 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  219 

wish  with  all  ray  heart  that  an  order  would  come 
for  his  recall,  not  only  because  of  the  danger,  but 
because  I  am  longing  to  be  back  again  with  my 
regiment ;  and  although  I  am  strong  enough  to  ride 
down  to  the  Punjaub  now,  I  cannot  go  except  with 
Sir  Lewis  and  his  escort.  Although  it  is  peace  a 
single  Englishman  could  not  travel  down  to  Jellala- 
bad  through  the  passes." 

Will  had  from  the  first  week  after  the  arrival  of 
the  mission  fallen  into  the  position  of  an  orderly- 
room  sergeant.  His  duties  were  little  more  than 
nominal,  but  he  acted  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Jenkyns, 
and  made  copies  and  duplicates  of  reports  and  other 
documents  which  were  from  time  to  time  sent  down 
to  Jellalabad.  Being  the  only  Englishman  there 
with  the  exception  of  the  four  oflBcers,  these  greatly 
relaxed  the  usual  distance  prevailing  between  an 
ofiicer  and  a  corporal,  and  treated  him  as  a  civilian 
clerk  when  in  office,  and  with  a  pleasant  cordiality 
at  other  times.  Except,  indeed,  that  he  messed 
alone  and  kept  in  his  own  room  of  an  evening,  he 
might  have  been  one  of  the  party.  Each  day  he 
reported  to  Sir  Lewis  the  rumors  which  Yossouf 
had  gathered  in  the  town.  In  his  reports  to  head- 
quarters Major  Cavagnari  stated  that  trouble  had 
arisen  from  the  conduct  of  the  Heratee  troops,  but 
he  scarcely  made  enough  of  the  real  danger  which 


220  _      FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

threatened  the  little  party.  Had  he  done  so,  the 
embassy  would  probably  have  been  recalled. 

"  What  have  you  got  there,  Yossouf  ?"  Will  asked 
one  day  when  his  follower  returned  with  a  larger 
bundle  than  usual. 

"  I  have  brought  the  uniform  of  an  Afghan  sol- 
dier," the  boy  replied,  "  which  1  have  purchased 
from  the  bazaar ;  it  is  for  you.  I  am  sure  that  soon 
you  will  be  attacked.  The  English  are  brave,  but 
there  are  only  four  of  them.  Their  soldiers  will 
fight,  but  what  can  they  do  against  an  army  ? 
When  the  time  comes  you  must  dress  yourself  in 
these  clothes  and  I  will  try  to  conceal  you." 

"  But  I  cannot  do  that,  Yossouf,"  Will  said.  "  It 
is  very^  good  of  you  to  try  and  aid  me  to  escape ; 
but  I  am  a  soldier,  and  must  share  the  fortunes  of 
my  officers  whatever  they  may  be.  If  they  fight  I 
shall  fight.  If  they  are  killed  I  must  be  killed  too. 
I  cannot  run  away  and  hide  myself  when  the  dan- 
ger comes." 

The  lad  hung  his  head. 

"  Then  Yossouf  will  die  too,"  he  said  quietly  ;  "  he 
will  not  leave  his  white  friend." 

"  No,  no,  Yossouf,"  Will  said  warmly  ;  "  you  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  business.  Why  should  you 
involve  yourself  in  our  fate  ?  You  can  do  me  no 
good  by  sacrificing  your  life." 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  221 

Yossouf  shook  his  head. 

"  If,"  he  said  presently,  "  the  time  comes,  and  you 
see  that  it  is  of  no  use  any  longer  to  fight,  and  that 
all  is  lost,  would  you  try  to  escape  then  ?" 

"  Yes,"  Will  said,  "  certainly  I  would.  When  all 
hope  of  further  resistance  is  gone,  and  fighting  is 
useless,  my  duty  would  be  at  an  end,  and  if  I  could 
manage  to  escape  then  I  should  be  justified  in  try- 
ing to  save  my  life." 

Yossouf  looked  relieved.  "  Very  well,"  he  said, 
"  then  at  the  last  I  will  try  and  save  you." 

"  Still,  Yossouf,"  Will  said,  "  we  must  hope  that 
it  is  not  coming  to  that.  The  ameer  has  sworn  to 
protect  us,  and  he  can  do  so.  The  Bala-Hissar  is 
strong,  and  he  can  easily  hold  it  with  one  or  two  of 
his  Cabul  regiments  against  the  Heratee  men.  He 
has  three  or  four  of  these  regiments  here.  He  can- 
not be  so  false  to  his  oath  as  to  allow  his  guests  to 
be  massacred." 

Yossouf  made  a  gesture  which  expressed  his  utter 
disbelief  in  the  ameer,  and  then  again  went  about 
his  duties.  On  the  2d  of  September,  on  his  re- 
turn from  the  town,  he  reported  that  there  was 
great  excitement  among  the  people,  and  that  he  be- 
lieved that  the  night  would  not  pass  off  without 
trouble.  Major  Cavagnari,  to  whom  Will  reported 
the  news,  sent  in  a  message  to   the  ameer,  whose 


222  FOE  NAM K  AND  FAME. 

palace  was  within  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  and 
begged  him  to  take  measures  to  secure  the  Bala- 
Ilissar  against  any  attack  by  the  Heratees. 

The  members  of  the  escort  available  for  the  de- 
fense of  the  residency  were  but  about  fifty  men. 
Most  of  the  cavalry  were  away;  some  were  down 
the  pass  with  dispatches;  the  rest  were  stationed  a 
short  distance  off  in  the  plain,  as  forage  was  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  in  the  fort.  The  ameer  returned  a 
curt  message  to  Major  Cavagnari,  saying  that  there 
was  no  cause  for  uneasiness.  The  latter,  however, 
doubled  the  sentries  at  the  gate  of  the  little  in- 
closure. 

Just  as  the  officers  were  about  to  retire  to  rest 
Yossouf,  who  had  a  short  time  before  gone  out 
again,  telling  Will  that  he  would  bring  back  news 
of  what  was  going  on,  ran  in. 

"  The  Heratees  are  coming,"  he  said.  "  The  gates 
of  the  fort  have  been  left  open.  The  Cabul  men 
are  all  in  their  barracks.  They  are  pouring  in  at 
the  gates  ;  do  you  not  hear  them?" 

William  Gale  ran  to  the  window,  and  could  hear 
a  loud  and  confused  noise  of  j^elling  and  shouting. 
He  ran  in  to  the  envoy's  room  and  warned  him  that 
the  Heratees  were  at  hand.  Without  the  loss  of  a 
moment's  time  Lieutenant  Hamilton  got  his  men 
under  arms,  and  posted  them  at  the  upper  windows 


FOR  NAME  AKD  PAMZ  22^, 

of  the  house,  where  their  fire  would  command  the 
approaches  to  the  ^ate.  Quickly  as  this  was  done 
the  Afghans  were  close  at  hand  by  the  time  that 
each  man  was  at  his  post,  and  instantly  opened  a 
scattering  fire  at  the  residency,  shouting  to  the  sol- 
diers to  come  out  and  join  them,  and  to  bring  out 
the  Kaffir  officers  to  be  killed.  The  Pathans  were, 
however,  true  to  their  salt,  and  in  reply  opened  a 
steady  fire  upon  the  mass  of  the  enemy.  With 
wild  yells  the  Afghans  rushed  at  the  gate,  but  so 
steadily  and  rapidly  did  the  defenders  shoot  from 
the  upper  windows  and  loop-holes  cut  in  the  gate 
that  the  assailants  were  forced  to  fall  back. 

"  That's  right,  my  lads,"  Major  Cavagnari  said 
cheerfully  to  his  men ;  "  we  can  hold  the  place  for 
some  time,  and  the  ameer  will  bring  the  Cabul 
regiments  down  in  no  time  and  sweep  away  these 
rascals." 

The  Afghans,  now  some  thousands  strong,  as- 
sisted by  all  the  Budmashes  and  turbulent  portion 
of  the  population  of  Cabul,  surrounded  the  house 
on  all  sides,  and  kept  up  a  heavy  and  incessant  fire, 
which  was  coolly  and  steadily  returned  by  the 
Guides.  After  an  hour's  fighting  there  was  a  sud- 
den roar  above  the  rattle  of  musketry,  followed  by 
another  and  another.  Simultaneously  came  the 
crash  of  shells.     One  burst  in  the  house,    another 


324  POR  NAME  AND  PaM^. 

tore  through  the  gate.  Still  there  was  no  sign  of 
the  Cabul  regiments. 

Eight  or  ten  guns  were  brought  to  play  on  the 
little  garrison.  The  gate  was  broken  down,  and 
nearly  half  the  force  of  the  house  were  already 
killed  or  wounded  by  the  musketry  and  shell  fire. 
Still  they  continued  the  defense.  Over  and  over 
again  the  Afghans  swarmed  up  close  to  the  gate, 
only  to  fall  back  again  before  the  steady  fire  of  the 
Snider  rifles  of  the  Guides.  Major  Cavagnari  went 
from  room  to  room  encouraging  the  men,  while  the 
other  officers  and  Will  Gale,  taking  rifles  which 
had  fallen  from  the  hands  of  men  no  longer  able  to 
use  them,  set  an  example  of  cool  and  steady  firing 
to  their  men. 

For  four  hours  the  unequal  contest  continued ; 
then  a  cry  arose  from  the  men  that  the  house  was 
on  fire. 

It  was  but  too  true.  A  shell  had  exploded  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  house  and  had  ignited  the  wood- 
work, and  the  fire  had  already  obtained  so  firm  a 
hold  that  it  was  impossible  to  extinguish  it.  A  few 
of  the  men  continued  their  fire  from  the  windows 
to  the  last,  while  the  rest  carried  their  wounded 
comrades  out  into  the  court-yard.  As  the  flames 
shot  out  from  the  lower  windows  the  3'ells  of  the 
Afghans  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  a  fearful  storm 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMS.  225 

of  lead  and  iron  swept  down  upon  the  little  band, 
who  were  now  plainly  visible  in  the  light  of  the 
flames.  Even  now  the  enemy  did  not  dare,  although 
numbering  hundreds  to  one,  to  come  too  close  upon 
them,  though  they  flocked  up  close  to  the  gate. 

"  Now,  lads  !"  Major  Cavagnari  exclaimed,  "  let 
us  rush  out  and  die  fighting  hand  to  hand  ;  better 
that  than  to  be  shot  down  defenseless  here." 

Thus  saying  he  led  the  way,  and  charged  out 
upon  the  crowded  foe.  There  were  but  Lieutenant 
Hamilton  and  eight  men  to  follow  him;  all  the  rest 
had  fallen.  Dr.  Kelly  had  been  shot  in  the  house 
while  dressing  the  wound  of  one  of  the  soldiers. 
Mr.  Jenkyns  had  fallen  outside.  Will  Gale  had 
twice  been  wounded,  but  was  still  on  his  feet,  and, 
grasping  his  musket,  he  rushed  forward  with  his 
comrades.  A  figure  sprang  out  just  as  he  reached 
the  gate,  and  with  a  sudden  rush  carried  him  along 
for  some  paces.  Then  he  stumbled  over  a  fragment 
of  the  wall,  and  fell  just  at  the  corner  of  the  gate, 
which  had  swung  inward  when  burst  open  by  the 
enemy's  shell.  Confused  and  bewildered,  he  strug- 
gled to  regain  his  feet. 

"  Keep  quiet,  master !"  Yossouf  s  voice  said  in  his 
ear.     "  It  is  your  only  chance  of  safety." 

So  saying  he  dragged  Will  into  the  narrow  space 
between  the  gate  and  the  wall ;  then  as  he  rose  to 


226  ^On  NAME  AND  FAME. 

his  feet  he  wrapped  round  him  a  loose  Afghan 
cloak,  and  pressed  a  black  sheepskin  cap  far  down 
over  his  face.  In  a  minute  there  was  the  sound  of 
a  fierce  struggle  without.  The  shots  of  the  revolv- 
ers of  the  two  English  officers  rang  out  in  quick 
succession,  mingled  with  the  loud  report  of  the  Af- 
ghan muskets.  The  savage  yells  rose  high  and 
triumphant.  The  last  of  the  gallant  band  who  had 
for  hours  defended  the  embassy  had  fallen.  Then 
there  was  a  rush  through  the  gate  as  the  Afghans 
swarmed  into  the  court-yard,  till  the  space  around 
the  burning  house  was  well-nigh  full. 

Unperceived,  Will  Gale  and  Yossouf  stepped  from 
behind  the  gate  and  joined  the  throng,  and  at  once 
made  their  way  into  the  stables,  where  several  of 
the  Budmashes  were  already  engaged  in  their  work 
of  plunder.  Yossouf  caught  up  three  or  four  horse- 
rugs  and  made  them  into  a  loose  bundle,  and  signed 
to  Will  to  do  the  same.  The  3^oung  soldier  did  so, 
and  lifted  them  on  his  shoulder  so  as  to  partly  hide 
his  face.  Then  he  followed  Yossouf  into  the  court- 
yard  again. 

Already  there  was  a  stream  of  men  with  saddles, 
rugs,  muskets,  and  other  plunder  making  their  way 
out,  while  others  were  still  thronging  in.  Joining 
the  former.  Will  and  his  guide  were  soon  outside 
the  inclosure.     At  any  other  time  his  disguise  would 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  227 

have  been  noticed  at  once,  but  in  the  crowd  his  legs 
were  hidden,  and  all  were  too  Intent  upon  plunder 
and  too  excited  at  their  success  to  notice  him. 

Once  outside  the  wall  he  was  comparatively  safe ; 
the  light  thrown  over  the  court-yard  by  the  blazing 
house  made  the  darkness  beyond  all  the  more  com- 
plete. Keeping  carefully  in  shadow,  Yossouf  led 
him  along  to  a  clump  of  bushes  in  a  garden  a  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  house.  Stooping  here  he  pulled 
out  a  bundle. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  is  the  uniform.  Put  it  on 
quickly !" 

It  was  but  the  work  of  a  minute  for  Will  to  attire 
himself  in  the  uniform  of  the  Afghan  soldier.  He 
had  still  retained  the  musket  which  he  had  in  his 
hand  when  Yossouf  had  leaped  upon  him,  and  as  he 
now  went  on  with  his  guide  he  had  no  fear  what- 
ever of  being  detected.  He  still  carried  the  bundle 
of  rugs  on  his  shoulder.  As  they  walked  round 
toward  the  lower  gate  of  the  Bala-Hissar  they  met 
numbers  of  villagers  and  townspeople  thronging  in. 
These  had  waited  to  hear  the  issue  of  the  attack 
before  leaving  their  homes ;  but  now  that  the  arrival 
of  the  plunderers  from  the  residency  and  the  cessa- 
tion of  the  fire  told  of  the  successful  termination  of 
the  assault,  they  flocked  up  to  join  in  the  rejoicings 
over  the  annihilation  of  the  Kaffirs. 


228  ^OM  NAME  AND  FAMS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  ADVANCE  UPON  OABUL. 

Throughout  the  long  hours  of  the  night  of  the 
2d  of  September,  while  the  roll  of  musketry  and  the 
roar  of  cannon  had  gone  on  without  a  moment',o 
pause  just  outside  the  walls  of  his  palace,  Yakoob 
Khan  had  made  no  movement  whatever  to  protect 
his  guests  or  fulfill  his  own  solemn  promises.  Silent 
and  sullen  he  had  sat  in  his  council-chamber. 

The  disgrace  of  a  broken  promise  is  not  one 
which  weighs  heavily  upon  an  Afghan's  mind,  and 
it  is  not  probable  that  the  thought  of  his  tarnished 
honor  troubled  him  in  the  slightest  degree ;  but  he 
knew  that  the  massacre  which  was  being  perpetrat- 
ed at  his  door  would  be  avenged,  and  that  the 
English  troops  which  had  so  easily  beaten  the 
army  which  bis  father  had  spent  so  many  years  in 
preparing  would  be  set  in  movement  against  Cabul 
the  moment  the  news  reached  India.  He  cannot 
but  have  dreaded  the  consequences.  But  he  ap- 
parently feared   even  more  to  incur  the  hostility 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  329 

of  the  Heratee  regiments  by  interfering  to  save 
their  victims. 

Again  and  again  during  the  night  his  wisest 
councilors  besought  him  to  call  upon  the  loyal 
Cabullee  regiments  to  act  against  the  Ileratees,  but 
in  vain.  It  is  doubtful  whether  Yakoob  was  pre- 
viously informed  of  the  intended  massacre,  but 
there  is  strong  reason  to  believe  that  he  was  so ; 
the  proofs,  however,  were  not  clear  and  definite. 
His  conduct  cost  him  his  throne,  and  condemned 
him  to  remain  to  the  end  of  his  life  a  dishonored 
pensioner  and  semi-prisoner  in  India. 

Many  eager  questions  were  asked  of  Will  and  his 
companion  as  they  made  their  way  down  to  the 
gate  of  the  Bala-Hissar.  Yossouf  took  upon  him- 
self to  answer  them,  and  they  passed  through  the 
gate  without  the  slightest  suspicion. 

"  Which  way  now  V 

"  I  think  it  will  be  safest  to  go  into  the  city.  We 
might  lie  hid  for  a  few  days  in  some  deserted  hut, 
but  sooner  or  later  our  presence  there  would  excite 
comment.  It  will  be  best,  I  think,  to  go  into  the 
city.  In  the  quarters  of  the  Parsee  merchants 
there  are  assuredly  some  who  would  give  you  shel- 
ter. Domajee,  who  was  the  contractor  for  the 
supply  of  the  mission,  would,  I  should  think,  be 
best  to  go  to.     There  is  little  danger,  for  noqe  will 


230  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

suspect  your  presence  there ;  his  servants  are  all 
Hindoos." 

"  That  is  the  best  place,  Yossouf.  I  have  been 
down  several  times  to  Domajee,  and  he  is  certainly 
devoted  to  the  English  ;  we  can  but  try  him." 

The  first  dawn  of  morning  was  breaking  when 
Will  and  his  faithful  friend  arrived  at  the  door  of 
the  Parsee  trader  in  the  Hindoo  quarter  of  Cabul. 
The  doors  were  fastened  and  barred,  for  it  was  im- 
possible to  say  whether  the  attack  upon  the  mis- 
sion which  had  been  heard  going  on  all  night  might 
not  be  followed  by  a  fanatic  outbreak  against  the 
Hindoo  and  Parsee  traders  in  the  Hindoo  quarter  ; 
therefore  there  was  little  sleep  that  night.  Yossouf 
knocked  gently  at  the  door. 

"  Who  is  there  ?"  a  voice  at  once  inquired  from 
within. 

"  I  come  on  urgent  business  with  Domajee,"  Yos- 
souf replied  ;  "  open  quickly,  there  are  but  two  of  us 
here." 

There  was  a  slight  pause,  and  then  the  door  was 
opened,  and  closed  immediately  the  two  visitors  had 
entered.  A  light  was  burning  in  the  large  anteroom 
as  they  entered  it,  and  several  Hindoos  who  had 
been  lying  wrapped  up  in  cloths  on  the  floor  rose  to 
their  feet  to  inspect  the  new-comers.  A  moment 
later  the  trader  himself  came  down  the  stairs  from 
an  apartment  above. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  231 

"  What  is  it  ?"  he  asked.  He  did  not  pause  for  an 
answer.  The  light  from  the  lamp  he  carried  fell 
upon  Will's  face,  now  white  as  a  sheet  from  loss  of 
blood.  With  the  one  word,  "  Follow,"  the  Parsee 
turned  on  his  heel  and  led  the  way  upstairs. 

"  Has  the  mission  been  captured  ?"  he  asked  as 
they  entered  an  empty  room. 

"  Yes,"  Will  replied,  "  and  I  believe  that  I  am  the 
only  survivor." 

The  fatigue  of  climbing  the  stairs  completed  the 
work  caused  by  prolonged  excitement  and  loss  of 
blood ;  and  as  he  spoke  he  tottered  and  would  have 
fallen  had  not  Yossouf  seized  him,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  the  Parsee  laid  him  on  a  couch. 

In  a  few  v^'ords  Yossouf  informed  the  trader  of 
what  had  happened,  and  satisfied  him  that  no  sus- 
picion could  arise  of  the  presence  of  one  of  the  Brit- 
ish in  his  house.  As  the  residency  had  been  burned 
down,  and  the  bodies  of  those  who  had  fallen  with 
it  consumed,  no  one  would  suspect  that  one  of  the 
five  Englishmen  there  had  effected  his  escape,  and 
it  would  be  supposed  that  Will's  body,  like  that  of 
Dr.  Kell}',  had  been  consumed  in  the  flames. 

The  Parsee  was  sure  that  Cabul  would  soon  be 
reoccupied  by  the  British,  and  putting  aside  his 
loyalty  to  them  he  felt  that  his  concealment  of  an 
English  survivor  of  the  massacre  would  be  greatly 


233  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

to  his  advantage,  and  would  secure  for  him  the  cus- 
tom of  the  English  upon  their  arrival  at  the  town. 
He  first  descended  the  stairs,  and  warned  his  Hin- 
doo followers  on  no  account  whatever  to  breathe  a 
word  of  the  entry  of  strangers  there.  Then  he 
again  returned  to  the  room,  where  Yossouf  was 
sprinkling  water  on  Will's  face,  and  was  endeavor- 
ing to  recover  him  to  consciousness. 

"  There  is  blood  on  the  couch,"  the  trader  said  ; 
"  he  is  wounded,  and  is  suffering  from  its  loss.  See ! 
the  sleeve  of  his  coat  is  soaked  with  blood,  but  I  see 
no  mark  on  the  cloth." 

"  No,"  Yossouf  replied  ;  "  he  has  put  on  that  uni- 
form since  the  fight." 

"  Go  downstairs,"  the  trader  said ;  "  my  wife  and 
daughter  will  see  to  him." 

As  soon  as  Yossouf  left  the  room  Doraajee's  wife 
and  daughter  entered  with  many  exclamations  of 
surprise  and  alarm.  Tiiey  were  at  once  silenced  by 
the  trader,  who  bid  them  cut  off  the  wounded  man's 
uniform  and  stanch  his  wounds.  Will  had  been  hit 
in  two  places.  One  ball  had  passed  through  the 
left  arm,  fortunately  without  injuring  the  bone ;  the 
other  had  struck  him  in  the  side,  had  run  round  his 
ribs  and  gone  out  behind,  infiicting  an  ugly  looking 
but  not  serious  wound — its  course  being  marked 
by  a  blue  line  on  the  flesh  behind  the  two  holes  of 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  233 

entry  aud  exit.  The  wounds  were  washed  and 
bound  up,  some  cordial  was  poured  between  his  lips, 
and  ere  long  he  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  round 
in  bewilderment. 

"  You  are  safe  and  among  friends,"  the  Parsee 
said.  "  Drink  a  little  more  of  the  cordial,  and  then 
go  off  quietly  to  sleep.  You  need  have  no  fear  of 
being  discovered,  and  your  friends  will  be  here  ere 
long." 

Four  of  the  Hindoo  servants  now,  at  the  order  of 
the  trader,  came  upstairs,  and,  lifting  the  couch, 
carried  Will  to  a  cool  and  dAry  chamber  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  house.  Here  a  soft  bed  of  rugs 
and  mattresses  was  prepared,  and  Will  was  soon  in 
a  quiet  sleep,  with  Yossouf  watching  b}^  his  side. 

It  was  but  twenty-four  hours  after  the  massacre 
that  a  well-mounted  native  from  Cabul  brought  the 
news  over  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass  into  the  Khuram 
Valle}* ;  thence  it  was  telegraphed  to  Simla,  and  in 
a  few  hours  all  India  rang  with  it.  Xot  an  instant 
was  lost  in  making  preparations  for  avenging  the 
murder  of  the  British  mission.  On  the  same  day 
orders  were  sent  to  Brigadier-General  Massy,  at  that 
time  commanding  the  field  force  in  the  Khuram 
Valley,  to  move  the  Twenty-third  Punjaub  Pioneers, 
the  Fifth  Goorkhas,  and  a  mountain  battery  to  the 
crest  of  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass,  and  to  intrench 
themselves  there. 


234  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

A  day  or  two  later  the  Seventy-second  Highland- 
ers and  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry  ascended  the 
Peiwar  Khotal  to  Alikheyl,  to  secure  the  road 
between  the  khotal  and  the  pass.  The  Seventy- 
second  then  moved  forward  and  joined  the 
Twenty-third  Pioneers  and  Fifth  Goorkhas  on  the 
Shatur-gardan,  and  oti  the  13th  General  Baker  ar- 
rived there  and  took  the  command  ;  but  some  time 
was  needed  before  the  advance  could  commence. 
As  is  usual  with  the  British,  the  great  transport 
train  which  had  with  such  pains  been  collected  and 
organized  for  the  war,  had  been  dispersed  immedi- 
ately peace  was  signed,  and  the  whole  work  had 
now  to  be  recommenced. 

Vast  numbers  of  animals  had  been  used  up  during 
the  campaign,  and  there  was  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  obtaining  the  minimum  number  which  was  re- 
quired before  the  troops  could  move.  At  last  Gen- 
eral Roberts  managed  to  collect  in  the  Punjaub 
two  thousand  mules  and  seven  hundred  camels  and 
bullocks.  The  tribes  in  the  Khruam  Yalley,  too, 
who  had  been  kindly  treated  and  were  well  satis- 
fied with  the  change  of  masters,  furnished  many 
animals  for  the  transport  of  stores  as  far  as  the 
Shatur-gardan. 

The  news  had  thrown  the  Gilgis  and  other  tribes 
among   the  mountains   beyond  the  Peiwar  Khotal 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  235 

into  a  state  of  ferment,  and  several  determined  at- 
tacks were  made  by  them  upon  convoys  on  their 
way  up  to  the  head  of  the  pass.  These,  however, 
were  always  successfully  repulsed  by  the  baggage 
guards  with  considerable  loss  to  the  assailants,  and 
on  the  26th  September,  three  weeks  from  the  date 
of  the  massacre,  General  Eoberts  joined  the  troops 
at  Alikheyl  and  moved  forward  to  the  Shatur- 
Gardan. 

During  this  time  two  or  three  letters  had  been 
received  from  the  ameer,  who  wrote  to  General 
Eoberts  deprecating  any  advance  of  the  British 
troops,  and  saying  that  he  was  trying  to  restore 
order,  to  put  down  the  mutinous  Heratee  troops, 
and  to  punish  them  for  their  conduct. 

As,  however,  the  details  which  had  been  received 
of  the  massacre  showed  that  the  ameer  had  be- 
haved in  a  most  suspicious  if  not  in  a  most  treach  - 
erous  manner  at  the  time  of  the  massacre,  and  that 
if  he  possessed  any  authority  whatever  over  the 
troops  he  had  not  attempted  to  exercise  it,  no  at- 
tention was  paid  to  his  letters. 

The  advanced  party  of  the  invading  force  moved 
down  from  the  Shatur-gardan  Pass.  It  consisted 
of  the  Twelfth  and  Fourteenth  Bengal  Cavalr\% 
two  guns  of  the  Royal  Horse  Artillery,  two  com- 
panies of  the  Seventy-second  Highlanders,  and  the 


236  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Fifth  Punjaub  Native  Infantry.  The  road  was 
found  to  be  extremely  steep  and  difficult,  and  much 
labor  was  necessary  before  it  could  be  made  prac- 
ticable for  guns  and  wheeled  carriages.  No  enemy 
was  encountered,  and  the  little  force  encamped 
at  night  in  the  Logan  Valley,  over  which  the  cavalry 
skirmished  far  ahead,  but  found  no  foes  awaiting 
them. 

On  the  following  day  they  made  another  march 
forward,  the  brigades  of  Generals  Baker  and  Mac- 
pherson  descending  from  the  pass  into  the  valley. 
The  advance  force  halted  at  Zerghun-Shah,  and 
soon  after  they  had  done  so  some  of  the  cavalry 
rode  in  with  the  surprising  news  that  the  ameer 
was  close  at  hand. 

Half  an  hour  later  Yakoob  Khan,  attended  by 
some  of  his  principal  nobles,  rode  into  camp.  He 
was  received  with  the  honor  due  to  his  rank,  but 
personally  General  Koberts  greeted  him  with  great 
coldness.  The  ameer  stated  that  he  came  into 
camp  because  he  could  not  control  the  soldiery  of 
Cabul,  and  that  therefore  he  had  left  the  place  and 
come  in  to  show  his  friendship  for  the  English. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  motives  for  his 
coming,  they  were  never  fully  explained ;  circum- 
stances which  afterward  occurred  strongly  con- 
firmed the  suspicion  that  he  meditated  treachery. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  237 

He  was  treated  honorably ;  but  the  guard  of  honor 
which  was  assigned  to  him  was  in  fact  a  guard 
over  him,  and  from  that  time  he  was  virtually  a 
prisoner. 

General  Eoberts  declined  altogether  to  discuss 
with  him  the  events  of  the  massacre  of  Cabul,  say- 
ine*  that  this  was  a  matter  which  could  not  now  be 
entered  into,  but  would  be  fully  investigated  on  the 
arrival  at  the  Afghan  capital.  The  following  da}'' 
the  brigades  of  Generals  Baker  and  Macpherson 
joined  the  advance  at  Zerghun-Shah. 

The  amount  of  transport  available  was  only  suflB- 
cient  for  half  the  baggage  of  the  army,  and  it  was 
necessary,  therefore,  to  moved  forward  in  two 
divisions — the  one  advancing  a  day's  march,  and 
then  halting  while  the  animals  went  back  to  bring 
up  the  baggage  of  the  second  division  on  the  follow- 
ing day. 

A  proclamation  was  now  issued  by  the  gen- 
eral and  sent  forward  among  the  people  of  the 
valley,  saying  that  the  object  of  the  expedition 
was  only  to  punish  those  concerned  in  the  massacre 
at  Cabul,  and  that  all  loyal  subjects  of  the  ameer 
would  be  well  treated.  On  the  3d  of  October 
Macpherson's  brigade,  with  the  cavalry,  reached 
Suffed-Sang.  Here  they  halted  while  the  baggage 
animals  went  back  to  bring  up  General  Baker's 
brigade. 


238  iron  NAME  AHfD  FAME. 

The  attitude  of  the  people  of  the  valley  had  now 
become  very  threatening.  Great  numbers  of  hill- 
tribemen  had  come  down,  and  on  this  day  an  at- 
tack was  made  upon  the  rear-guard,  but  was  beaten 
off  with  loss.  That  the  natives  were  bitterly  hostile 
was  undoubted,  but  they  were  for  the  most  part 
waiting  to  see  the  result  of  the  approaching  fight. 
The  Heratee  and  Cabul  regiments  were  confident 
that  they  would  defeat  the  approaching  column. 
They  had  a  great  advantage  in  numbers,  had  been 
drilled  in  European  fashion,  were  armed  with 
Enfields,  and  had  an  enormous  park  of  artillery  at 
their  disposal.  They  were  able  to  choose  their  own 
fighting  ground,  and  had  selected  a  spot  which 
gave  them  an  immense  advantage.  They  were 
therefore  confident  of  victory. 

Had  the  British  troops  been  beaten  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Logan  Yalley  were  prepared  to  rise  to 
a  man.  The  Ghilzais  and  other  hill  tribes  would 
have  swept  down  upon  the  line  of  retreat,  and  few 
if  any  of  the  British  force  would  have  returned  to 
tell  the  tale. 

The  next  day  Baker's  division  had  the  post  of 
honor,  and  made  a  short  march  to  Chaurasia. 
Beyond  this  village  the  enemy  had  taken  up  their 
position.  Three  miles  beyond  the  village  the 
valley  ends,  a  mass  of  hills  shutting  it  in,  with  only 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  23£> 

a  narrow  defile  leading  through  them  to  the  plain 
of  Cabul  beyond. 

Upon  both  sides  of  the  defile  the  enemy  had 
placed  guns  in  position  and  lined  the  whole  circle 
of  the  hills  commanding  the  approach  to  it.  Moun- 
taineers from  their  birth,  they  believed  that 
although  the  British  infantry  might  possess  a  supe- 
riority in  the  plain,  they  could  be  no  match  for  them 
on  the  steep  hillside ;  and  they  no  doubt  thought 
that  no  attempt  would  be  made  to  storm  so  strong 
a  position,  but  that  the  British  column  would  march 
straight  up  the  valley  into  the  defile,  where  they 
would  be  helplessly  slaughtered  by  the  guns  and 
matchlock  men  on  the  heights.  Judging  from  their 
own  tactics  they  had  reason  for  the  belief  that  their 
position  was  an  impregnable  one. 

In  their  hill  fights  the  Afghans  never  come  to 
close  quarters.  Posted  behind  rocks  and  huge 
bowlders,  the  opposing  sides  keep  up  a  distant  mus- 
ketry duel,  lasting  sometimes  for  days,  until  one 
side  or  the  other  becomes  disheartened  with  its 
losses  or  has  exhausted  its  ammunition.  Then  it 
falls  back,  and  the  other  claims  the  victory.  The 
idea  that  English  soldiers  would,  under  a  heavy  fire 
from  their  concealed  force,  steadily  climb  up  the 
broken  mountain  side  and  come  to  close  quarters, 
probably  never  entered  into  their  calculations. 


240  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAMZ 

At  daybreak  on  the  6th  a  working  party  were 
sent  forward  to  improve  the  road  toward  the  defile. 
But  they  had  scarcely  started  when  the  cavalry 
patrol  in  advance  rode  in  and  announced  that  the 
enemy  were  in  great  strength  on  the  hills,  and  had 
guns  in  position  to  command  the  road. 

General  Koberts  had  now  a  choice  of  two  courses 
— he  could  either  attack  the  whole  Afghan  force 
with  the  one  division  at  hand,  or  he  could  wait  un- 
til joined  by  Macpherson's  brigate  next  morning. 
The  feat  of  carrying  such  a  position  in  face  of  an 
immensely  superior  force  with  onl}'^  half  of  his  little 
command  was  a  very  serious  one  ;  but  upon  the 
other  hand  every  hour  added  to  the  number  of  hill 
men  who  swarmed  upon  the  flanks  of  the  army  just 
beyond  musket  range.  A  delay  of  twenty-four 
hours  would  bring  the  whole  fighting  force  of  the 
tribesmen  into  the  valley,  and  while  attacking  the 
enemy's  position  in  the  front  he  would  be  liable  to 
an  assault  upon  his  rear  by  them. 

Confident  in  the  valor  of  his  soldiers  he  chose 
the  first  alternative,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  his  little 
force  marched  out  from  the  camp  to  attack  the 
Afghan  army. 

By  this  time  the  enemy's  position  had  been  recon 
noitered,  and  it  was  found  to  be  too  strong  for  a 
direct  attack.     It  was  therefore  resolved  to  ascend 


POn  NAM^  AND  PAME.  Ul 

the  hills  on  both  flanks  and  so  to  drive  their  defend- 
ers back  beyond  the  defile.  This  in  any  case  would 
have  been  the  best  mode  of  assault,  but  against 
semi-savage  enemies  flank  attacks  are  peculiarly 
effective.  Having  prepared  for  an  assault  in  one 
direction,  they  are  disconcerted  and  disheartened 
by  finding  themselves  attacked  in  a  different  man- 
ner, and  the  fear  of  a  flank  being  turned  and  the 
line  of  retreat  thereby  menaced  will  generally 
suffice  to  cause  a  rapid  retreat. 

General  Baker  himself  took  the  command  of  the 
left  attack.  His  force  consisted  of  four  guns  of  No. 
2  Mountain  Battery,  two  Gatling  guns,  the 
Seventh  company  of  Sappers  and  Miners,  a  wing  of 
the  Seventy-second  Highlanders,  six  companies  of 
the  Fifth  Goorkhas,  two  hundred  men  of  the  Fifth 
Punjaub  Infantry,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  Twenty-third  Pioneers.  This  was  the  main 
column  of  attack.  The  left  column,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  "White,  of  the  Seventy -second  High- 
landers, consisted  of  a  wing  of  that  regiment,  one 
hundred  men  of  the  Twenty-third  Pioneers,  three 
guns  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  and  two  squadrons  of 
cavalry.  This  attack  was  intended  only  as  a  feint, 
and  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  Afghans  from 
the  main  attack.  A  strong  reserve  was  left  in 
Chaurasia  to  guard  the  baggage  and  to  overhaul 
the  tribesmen. 


243  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

As  General  Baker's  column  reached  the  foot  of 
the  hills  the  Twenty-third,  who  led  the  advance, 
thrown  out  in  skirmishing  line,  began  to  climb  the 
ascent.  The  enemy  were  armed  with  Sniders  and 
Enfields,  and  their  fire  was  rapid  and  continuous ; 
fortunately  it  was  by  no  means  accurate,  and  our 
losses  were  small. 

The  Afghans  in  their  hill  fighting  are  accustomed 
to  fire  very  slowly  and  deliberately,  taking  steady 
aim  with  their  guns  resting  on  the  rocks,  and  so 
fighting  they  are  excellent  shots.  It  is  probable, 
however,  that  the  steady  advance  of  our  men  to- 
ward them  flurried  and  disconcerted  them,  and  that 
they  thought  more  of  firing  quickly  than  of  taking 
a  correct  aim.  The  Seventy-second  pressing  up  the 
hill  were  assisted  by  the  fire  of  the  mountain  guns 
and  Gatlings,  and  by  that  of  the  Punjaubees  in  their 
rear.  Gradually  the  upper  slopes  of  the  hills  were 
gained,  and  the  British  troops  pressing  forward 
drove  the  Afghans  back  along  the  crest.  Several 
times  they  made  obstinate  stands,  holding  their 
ground  until  the  Seven tj'^-second  were  close  to  them. 

These,  however,  would  not  be  denied.  The  mas- 
sacre of  the  mission  at  Cabul  had  infuriated  the 
soldiers,  and  each  man  was  animated  with  a  stern 
determination  to  avenge  our  murdered  countrymen. 
For  an  hour  and  a  half  the  fight  continued,  and 


F0&  NAME  AND  FAME.  343 

then  the  Afghans  abandoned  the  ridge  and  fled  in 
confusion.  They  rallied  upon  some  low  hills  six 
hundred  yards  from  the  rear,  but  the  mountain  guns 
and  Gatlings  opened  upon  them,  and  the  whole  line 
advancing  to  the  attack,  the  enemy  fell  back.  Ma- 
jor White's  column  had  been  doing  excellent  serv- 
ice  on  the  right.  Although  the  attack  had  been 
intended  only  as  a  feint,  it  was  pushed  forward  so 
vigorousl}'"  that  it  met  with  a  success  equal  to  that 
which  had  attended  the  main  column  on  the  left. 
The  enemy  were  driven  off  the  hills  on  the  right  of 
the  defile.  Twenty  guns  were  captured,  and  the 
direct  road  cleared  of  the  enemy. 

Unfortunately,  our  cavalry  was  in  the  rear.  The 
road  through  the  pass  was  difficult,  and  before  they 
could  get  through  into  the  plain  on  the  other  side  the 
masses  of  Afghans  had  fallen  back  into  the  strong 
villages  scattered  over  it,  and  could  not  be  attacked 
by  cavalry  alone.  The  enemy  had  from  nine  thou- 
sand to  ten  thousand  men  upon  the  ridge,  including 
thirteen  regiments  of  regular  troops.  They  left 
three  hundred  dead  upon  the  field,  and  besides  these 
carried  off  large-  numbers  of  killed  and  wounded 
during  the  fight.  Upon  our  side  only  twenty  were 
killed  and  sixty-seven  wounded. 

Had  General  Roberts  had  his  whole  force  with 
him,  he  could  after  capturing  the  hills  have  at  once 


244  FOn  NA  ME  A  NT)  FA  MH. 

pushed  forward  and  have  attacked  the  enemy  on 
the  plain,  and  the  Afghans,  disheartened  and  panic- 
stricken,  would  have  been  completely  crushed, 
"With  so  small  a  force  in  hand,  and  the  possibility 
of  a  serious  attack  by  the  tribes  on  his  rear,  Gen- 
eral Roberts  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  advance 
further,  and  the  regiments  which  had  taken  the 
principal  part  in  the  massacre  of  Cabul  marched 
away  unmolested. 

Enormously  superior  as  they  still  were  in  num- 
bers they  had  no  thought  of  further  resistance. 
The  capture  of  positions  which  they  deemed  im- 
pregnable by  a  force  so  inferior  in  number  to  their 
own  had  utterly  disheartened  them,  and  the 
Heratee  regiments,  which  but  the  day  before  had 
been  so  proudly  confident  of  their  ability  to  exter- 
minate the  Kaffirs,  were  now  utterly  demoralized 
and  panic-stricken.  In  the  night  the  whole  of  the 
Afghan  troops  scattered  and  fled.  Our  cavalry, 
under  General  Massy,  swept  along  the  plain  of 
Cabul,  and,  skirting  the  town,  kept  on  as  far  as  the 
ameer's  great  intrenched  camp  at  Sherpur,  three 
miles  further  along  the  valley.  Here  seventy-five 
guns  were  captured. 

In  the  morning  Macpherson  arrived.  General 
Roberts  now  advanced  with  his  whole  foroe  of 
infantry  and  found  that  he  had  no  longer  a  foe 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  345 

before  him.  The  Afghan  army  had  disappeared. 
There  was  no  longer  any  occasion  for  haste,  and 
the  column  halted  until  all  the  baggage  had  been 
brought  up  through  the  difficult  defile.  The  total 
defeat  of  the  Afghan  army  had  overawed  the 
tribesmen,  and  these  at  once  retired  to  their  hills 
again. 

The  villagers,  however,  were  bitterly  hostile,  and 
seized  every  opportunity  of  firing  at  small  bodies  of 
troops  on  cavalry  patrols.  This  continued  for  some 
time,  and  General  Roberts  at  last  was  obliged  to 
punish  it  with  severity,  and  in  such  cases  all  found 
with  arms  in  their  hands  were  at  once  shot.  On 
the  11th  of  October  Sir  Frederick  Roberts  and  his 
staff  with  a  cavalry  escort  rode  into  the  Bala- 
Hissar,  and  the  next  morning  the  British  troops 
marched  into  the  fort.  The  gates  of  Cabul  stood 
open,  and  a  column  was  marched  through  the  town 
and  formal  possession  taken  of  it. 

During  the  first  five  weeks  which  elapsed  after 
the  massacre  of  the  mission  William  Gale  remained 
almost  prostrate  in  the  house  of  the  friendly  Parsee 
trader.  He  had  barely  recovered  his  strength  after 
his  prolonged  illness  when  the  attack  was  made, 
and  the  events  of  that  night,  and  the  great  loss  of 
blood  which  he  had  suffered,  had  reduced  his' 
strength  to  that  of  an  infant.     Under  the  care  of 


246  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  Parsee  and  his  family,  however,  he  slowly  but 
steadily  regained  strength.  For  the  first  month 
but  little  news  from  without  reached  him ;  then  a 
report  came  that  the  British  had  assembled  in  con- 
siderable force  on  the  crest  of  the  Shatur-gardan, 
and  were  going  to  move  on  Cabul  from  that  direc- 
tion. Then  day  by  day  the  tidings  came  in  of  the 
advance  of  the  force. 

It  was  reported  generally  that  the  ameer  had 
gone  out  to  meet  them,  with  the  intention  of 
leaving  them  when  the  decisive  moment  arrived 
and  taking  command  of  the  tribesmen,  who  would 
fall  upon  and  annihilate  them.  On  the  6th  the 
town  was  unusually  quiet,  and  Will  heard  that  the 
Afghan  army  had  moved  out  to  occupy  the  hills 
commanding  the  approach  through  the  defile,  and 
that  with  the  aid  of  the  tribesmen  the  British  army 
was  to  be  exterminated  there. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  247 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   FIGHTING  BOUND  CABUL* 

All  day  long  on  the  6th  of  October  William 
Gale  sat  at  an  open  window  in  the  upper  story  of 
the  Parsee's  house  facing  west,  and  listened  to  the 
distant  roar  of  the  battle,  while  all  Cabul  was  in  a 
state  of  wild  excitement  in  the  sure  anticipation  of 
victory.  Will  felt  equally  confident  as  to  the  result 
of  the  battle.  He  knew  that,  well  led,  a  British 
force  could  be  trusted  to  carry  any  position  held  by 
the  Afghans,  and  he  f^t  sure  that  even  should  he 
fail  to  carry  it  by  direct  attack  the  English  general 
would  sooner  or  later  succeed  in  turning  it  by  flank 
movements. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  William 
noticed  a  change  in  the  character  of  the  sounds  in 
the  town.  In  the  Hindoo  quarter  all  had  been 
quiet,  for  the  inhabitants  greatly  feared  that,  in  a 
burst  of  fanaticism  following  a  victor^'^  achieved 
over  the  British,  the  Afghans  might  sack  the 
Hindoo    quarter     and     murder    its    inhabitants. 


248  ^OB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Yossouf,  however,  had  been  all  the  morning  out  in 
the  town,  and  had  from  time  to  time  brought  in  a 
report  of  the  rumors  current  there. 

At  first  it  was  said  that  the  British  were  beingf 
utterly  routed,  that  they  were  being  exterminated 
by  the  Afghan  fire,  that  the  hill-tribes  were  sweep- 
ing down  upon  their  rear,  and  that  not  a  man  would 
escape.  Presently  the  reports  became  more  con- 
tradictory. The  firing  was  still  heard,  but  it  was 
no  longer  one  continuous  roll.  Some  said  that  the 
British  were  annihilated ;  others  that,  repulsed  in 
their  attack,  they  had  fallen  back  to  their  camp ; 
but  soon  after  two  o'clock  Yossouf  rushed  up  to 
William's  room  with  the  news  that  the  Afghans  had 
been  driven  from  the  heights,  and  that  the  British 
were  in  possession  of  these  and  of  the  defile  through 
them.  Yossouf  had  throughout  the  morning  been 
swayed  by  conflicting  emotions  and  wishes.  At 
one  moment  he  hoped  that  his  countrymen  might 
conquer ;  then  the  fear  that  after  victory  the  Hin- 
doo quarter  might  be  sacked  and  his  English  friend 
discovered  and  killed,  overpowered  his  feeling  of 
patriotism. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Afghanistan  has  for 
centuries  been  rather  a  geographical  expression  than 
a  country.  Its  population  is  composed  of  a  great 
number  of  tribes  without  any  common  feelings  or 


FOB  NAME  AND  FA  MB,  249 

interest,  and  often  engaged  in  desperate  wars  and 
conflicts  with  each  other.  The  two  leading  tribes, 
the  Ghilzais  and  Duranees,  had  long  struggled  for 
ascendency  in  the  cultivated  portion  of  the  coun- 
try. For  a  long  period  the  Ghilzais  had  had  the 
supremacy,  but  the  Duranees  were  now  lords  of  the 
country. 

The  mountain  tribes  for  the  most  part  held  them- 
selves entirely  independent,  and  although  in  time 
they  gave  a  nominal  allegiance  to  the  Ameer  of  Ca- 
bul,  yet^  as  had  been  shown  in  the  Khuram  Valley, 
they  hated  their  native  masters  with  an  animosity 
far  exceeding  that  which  they  felt  toward  the  Brit- 
ish. That  throughout  the  war  the  tribesmen  were 
ready  when  they  saw  an  opportunity  to  attack  Eng- 
lish convoys  and  small  columns  is  true,  but  they  were 
animated  by  a  love  of  plunder  rather  than  of  coun- 
try ;  and  over  a  considerable  area  of  Afghanistan, 
notably  at  Candahar,  the  people  in  general  would 
have  infinitely  preferred  the  mild  and  just  rule  of 
the  English  to  the  military  tyranny  of  Cabul. 

Thus  Yossouf  had  grown  up  without  understand- 
ing the  meaning  of  the  feeling  which  we  call  pa- 
triotism. He  had,  it  is  true,  been  taught  to  hate  the 
unbelievers,  but  this  feeling  had  disappeared  on  his 
acquaintance  with  Will  Gale,  and  he  now  ranked 
the  safety  and  happiness  of  his  friend  far  before  any 
national  consideration. 


250  ^^(^^ii  ^Vyl ME  A  ^D  FAME. 

How  weak  is  the  feeling  of  patriotism  among  the 
Afghans  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  most  of  the  Brit- 
ish frontier  troops  consist  of  Afghan  hill  men,  who 
are  always  ready,  when  called  upon,  to  fight  des- 
perately against  their  countrymen  and  co-religion- 
ists. Examples  of  treacherj^  such  as  that  exhibited 
by  the  two  Pathans  who  fired  their  guns  to  warn 
their  countrymen  of  the  British  advance  up  the 
Spingwai  Pass,  are  almost  unknown. 

It  was,  then,  with  a  feeling  of  joy  that  Tossouf 
related  to  his  English  friends  the  news  of  the  defeat 
of  the  Afghan  army.  Throughout  the  Hindoo 
quarter  there  was  deep  but  suppressed  gladness  at 
the  news  of  the  British  victory,  and  this  increased 
when,  as  the  night  went  on,  it  was  known  that  the 
Afghan  army  was  totally  dispersed,  that  the  troops 
remaining  in  Cabul  had  fled,  and  that  the  cit}'^  was 
virtuall}^  open  for  the  entrance  of  the  English. 

When,  on  the  12th,  with  bands  playing  and  colors 
displayed,  the  British  troops  marched  through 
Cabul,  Will  would  fain  have  gone  out  and  joined 
his  countrymen.  But  the  Parsee  pointed  out  to 
him  that  this  would  draw  the  attention  of  the 
Afghans  to  the  fact  that  he  had  been  concealed  by 
him,  and  that  in  case  at  any  time  the  British  should 
evacuate  Cabul  and  return  to  India  he  would  be  a 
marked  man  for  the  vengeance  of  the  Afghans, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME,  251 

Will,  therefore,  wrapped  up  in  a  long  cloak  and  ac- 
companied by  Yossouf  and  the  Parsee,  left  the 
house  after  dark,  and  proceeding  to  the  gate  walked 
out  to  the  Bala-Hissar. 

Explaining  who  he  was,  "Will  was  soon  passed 
through  the  sentries  which  had  been  set  at  night- 
fall, and  was  conducted  to  the  quarters  of  the 
general.  The  latter  was  greatly  surprised  when  he 
was  told  that  an  English  soldier  who  had  been 
present  at  the  attack  upon  the  mission  wished  to 
speak  to  him,  and  at  once  ordered  Will  to  be 
brought  before  him.  Great  was  his  surprise  when 
he  learned  from  the  young  soldier  that  he  had 
fought  under  him  at  the  taking  of  Peiwar  Khotal, 
and  having  been  made  prisoner  near  Alikheyl  had 
been  brought  to  Cabaij  and  had  joined  the  party  of 
Sir  Lewis  Cavagnari  on  its  arrival  at  that  city. 
Still  more  that,  having  been  in  the  residency  when 
the  attack  upon  it  was  commenced  by  the  Heratee 
soldiery,  he  had  managed  to  escape  from  the  mas- 
sacre of  that  night. 

After  having  first  heard  a  complete  outline  of 
Will's  story  the  general  called  in  several  of  his  staff, 
who  had  just  finished  dinner,  and  then  requested 
Will  to  give  a  full  and  detailed  description  of  his 
adventures.  After  he  had  concluded,  Yossouf  and 
the  Parsee  were  called  in,  and  the  general  warmly 


252  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

expressed  his  gratification  at  the  kindness  that  they 
had  shown  to  a  wounded  English  soldier  at  the  risk 
of  their  lives. 

He  ordered  that  a  handsome  present  should  be 
made  to  Yossouf,  and  told  the  Parsee  to  call  again 
in  the  morning,  when  the  quartermaster-general 
would  be  told  to  arrange  with  him  for  the  supply 
of  such  articles  as  the  country  afforded  for  the  use 
of  the  troops. 

"  Your  regiment,"  he  said  to  Will,  "  is  at  present 
at  Jellalabad  ;  whether  it  will  come  up  here  I  do 
not  3^et  know,  but  in  the  mean  time  you  will  be 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant,  which  is  the 
least  we  can  do  after  what  you  have  gone  through, 
and  you  will  take  your  place  with  my  staff  orderly 
sergeants." 

He  then  sent  for  one  of  the  sergeants  and  gave 
Will  into  his  charge,  telling  him  he  would  speak 
further  with  him  when  he  had  arranged  the  press- 
ing business  which  the  occupation  of  Cabul  en- 
tailed upon  him. 

Yossouf  remained  with  Will,  being  at  his  urgent 
request  placed  upon  the  roll  as  a  native  follower,  of 
whom  a  considerable  number  accompany  each  regi- 
ment in  India.  His  duties  were  but  nominal,  for 
when  Will's  story  was  well  known  Yossouf  became 
a  most  popular  character  among  the  sergeants  of 


mn  NAME  AND  FAME.  2o3 

the  staff.  The  money  which  he  had  received,  in  the 
first  place  from  the  ameer  and  now  from  General 
Roberts,  would  secure  his  future.  In  A  fghanistan 
animals  are  cheap,  and  the  owner  of  a  small  herd  of 
oxen,  sheep,  or  even  goats  is  regarded  by  his  neigh- 
bors as  a  wealthy  man.  Therefore  Yossouf  would, 
on  the  departure  of  the  British,  be  able  to  settle 
down  in  a  ]#>sition  of  comparative  affluence. 

Two  days  later  General  Roberts,  being  one  even- 
ing disengaged,  sent  for  William  Gale.  He  had 
been  much  struck  with  the  bearing  and  manner  of 
the  young  soldier,  and  now  requested  him  to  give 
him  a  full  history  of  his  antecedents. 

"  You  have  had  a  curious  and  eventful  history," 
he  said  when  the  young  sergeant  had  finished,  "  and 
appear  to  have  conducted  yourself  with  great  dis- 
cretion, readiness,  and  courage.  From  what  you 
tell  me  of  your  conversation  with  Colonel  Shepherd 
I  have  no  doubt  that  he  formed  the  same  impres- 
sion that  I  do  from  your  manner  and  appearance, 
that  you  are  of  a  respectable  if  not  of  good  family, 
and  I  trust  that  you  will  some  day  discover  a  clew 
to  your  parents.  It  seems  to  me  that  had  the 
authorities  of  the  place  where  you  were  left  prop- 
erly bestirred  themselves  they  ought  to  have  been 
able  to  find  out  who  you  are.  However,  that  is  not 
to  the  point  now.     It  is  sufficient  for  me  that  from 


254  t^R  NAME  AND  FAMS. 

your  manner  and  address  you  would  not  be  out  of 
place  in  any  position.  I  shall,  of  course,  report  the 
fact  of  your  having  fought  by  Major  Cavagnari's 
side  in  the  attack  upon  him  here,  and  shall  strongly 
recommend  that  a  commission  be  granted  you.  I 
am  sure  that  from  your  conduct  hitherto  you  will 
never  do  discredit  to  any  position  in  which  you  may 
findy  ourself.  Say  nothing  to  your  fello \v -sergeants 
of  what  I  have  told  you.  It  is  possible,  although 
not  probable,  that  my  recommendation  may  not  be 
acted  upon,  and  at  any  rate  some  months  must  elapse 
before  an  answer  can  be  received." 

William  Gale  returned  to  his  quarters  in  a  state  of 
extreme  delight.  The  communication  which  General 
Roberts  had  made  to  him  was  altogether  beyond 
his  hopes.  He  had  indeed  from  the  very  day  that 
he  enlisted  often  hoped  that  some  time  or  other  he 
might  win  for  himself  a  commission,  and  take  his 
place  in  the  rank  to  which  he  had  from  his  child- 
hood believed  that  he  was  by  birth  entitled.  The 
words  and  manner  of  his  colonel  had  encouraged 
this  hope,  but  he  had  never  dreamed  that  his  pro- 
motion might  be  attained  so  soon.  It  was  but  a 
year  since  he  had  enlisted,  and  five  was  the  very 
earliest  at  which  he  had  even  dreamed  that  a  com- 
mission might  possibly  be  gained. 

The  next  day  he  had  been  sent  from  the  orderly 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  255 

room  with  a  note  to  the  colonel  of  the  Sixty- 
seventh,  which  was  the  regiment  now  in  quarters  in 
the  Bala-Hissar,  the  rest  of  the  force  being  en- 
camped in  the  plain  below.  As  he  was  walking 
across  the  open  he  was  suddenly  hurled  to  the 
ground  with  tremendous  violence,  and  at  the  same 
moment  a  roar  as  loud  as  that  of  thunder  sounded 
in  his  ears.  Bewildered  and  half-stunned  he  rose 
to  his  feet,  while  showers  of  stones,  beams,  and 
other  debris  fell  around  him. 

One  of  the  gunpowder  magazines  had  exploded. 
It  had  been  known  that  very  large  quantities  of 
powder  were  stored  in  various  buildings  at  the  Bala- 
Hissar,  and  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion  a  body 
of  engineers  under  Captain  Shafto  were  examining 
the  buildings  in  which  it  was  stored,  and  making 
preparation  for  the  removal  of  the  powder.  Singu- 
larly enough  no  soldiers  of  the  Sixty-seventh  were 
killed,  but  of  the  Goorkhas  who  were  on  guard  at 
the  arsenal  at  the  time  twelve  were  killed  and 
seven  wounded.  Shafto  was  unfortunately  killed. 
The  Sixty-seventh  were  at  once  called  out  and  set 
to  work  to  extinguish  the  flames  which  had  been 
kindled  by  the  explosion,  great  damage  being  done. 
The  southern  wall  of  the  arsenal  had  been  blown 
down  and  several  buildings  set  on  fire.  Explosion 
followed  explosion,  and  the  work  of  extinguishing 


256  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  flames  was  an  extremely  dangerous  one.  Irl 
the  afternoon  another  magazine  blew  up ;  fortu- 
nately no  troops  were  in  its  neighborhood  at  the 
time,  but  four  Afghans  were  killed  and  several  sol- 
diers hurt  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  from  the  spot. 

Although  it  was  never  proved,  it  was  strongly 
believed  that  these  explosions  were  caused  by  the 
Afghans,  and  as  large  quantities  of  powder  still  re- 
mained in  the  Bala-Hissar,  it  was  determined  that 
for  the  present  the  place  should  be  evacuated.  The 
general,  therefore,  with  his  staff  and  the  regiment  in 
garrison  left  the  place  and  joined  the  camp  in  the 
plain. 

The  little  force  at  Cabul  was  now  isolated. 
Troops  were  slowly  coming  up  the  Khj'^ber  Pass 
to  Jellalabad,  where  a  division  was  to  be  formed, 
destined  in  the  spring  to  join  the  force  at  Cabul 
should  it  be  necessary  to  carry  on  further  opera- 
tions. 

Between  Cabul  and  the  Shatur-gardan  the  na- 
tives were  in  a  restless  and  excited  state.  Two 
attacks  by  three  thousand  men  had  been  made  on 
the  garrison  holding  the  crest  of  the  latter  position, 
three  hundred  in  number.  These  bravely  sallied 
out,  attacked  the  enemy  in  the  open,  and  killed 
large  numbers  of  them.     Still  great  numbers  of  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMIS.  ^57 

tribesmen  were  gathered  round,  and  General  Gough, 
with  the  Fifth  Punjaubee  Cavahy,  the  Fifth  Pun- 
jaubee  Infantry,  and  four  guns,  was  therefore  sent 
from  Cabul  to  bring  down  from  the  Shatur-gardan 
the  garrison  and  all  the  stores  accumulated  there. 
The  pass,  which  would  shortly  be  closed  by  snow, 
was  then  to  be  deserted. 

Several  executions  now  took  place  at  Cabul  of 
men  who  were  proved  to  have  shared  in  the  attack 
on  the  embassy.  Some  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
place,  who  had  instigated  the  troops  to  the  attack, 
were  among  those  executed.  Many  of  the  villagers 
Avere  also  hanged  for  shooting  at  detached  bodies  of 
our  troops.  A  proclamation  had  been  issued  by  the 
general  on  his  first  arrival,  warning  the  people  that 
any  attempt  against  our  authority  would  be  severely 
punished,  forbidding  the  carrying  of  weapons  within 
the  streets  of  Cabul,  or  within  a  distance  of  live 
miles  of  the  city  gates,  and  offering  a  reward  for  all 
arms  belonging  to  the  Afghan  troops,  which  should 
be  given  up,  and  for  the  surrender  of  any  person, 
whether  soldier  or  civilian,  concerned  in  the  attack 
on  the  embassy. 

The  position  of  the  British  force  at  Cabul  was 
that  of  a  body  holding  only  the  ground  they  occu- 
pied in  the  midst  of  a  bitterly  hostile  country. 

The  ameer  was  powerless,  and  indeed  his  good- 


258  POR  KAME  AND  FAME. 

will  was  more  than  doubtful.  Jle  had  from  his 
arrival  in  the  camp  been  regarded  as  a  prisoner, 
although  treated  with  courtesy  ;  and  after  the  battle 
of  Chaurasia,  feeling  his  own  impotence,  and  being 
viewed  with  hostility  by  both  parties,  he  resigned 
his  position  as  ameer,  and  asked  to  be  sent  to  India, 
which  was  done.  The  abdication  of  the  ameer 
really  took  place  on  the  day  the  troops  entered 
Cabul,  but  it  was  not  publicly  known  until  the  end 
of  the  month,  as  nothing  could  be  done  on  the  sub- 
ject until  his  desire  was  communicated  to  the 
Indian  authorities  and  their  views  concerning  it 
ascertained. 

From  the  moment  of  his  arrival  at  Cabul  General 
Roberts  had  set  to  work  to  prepare  for  the  winter. 
He  would  for  four  or  five  months  be  entirely  cut 
otf,  and  would  have  to  rely  upon  himself  alone. 
He  had  before  him  the  terrible  catastrophe  which, 
had  on  the  same  ground  befallen  General  Elphin- 
stone's  army,  and  knew  that  it  was  possible,  and  in- 
deed probable,  that,  with  the  memory  of  that 
success  before  them,  the  Afghans  would  unite  in 
another  great  effort  to  annihilate  the  little  force 
shut  up  in  the  heart  of  their  country. 

Fortunately  he  had  in  the  ameer's  barracks  at 
Sherpur  a  position  which  he  was  confident  he  could 
hold  against  any  attacks  that  could   be  made  upon 


Fon  If  A  MM  AND  FA  MB,  250 

him.  These  extensive  barracks  had  been  erected 
bj  Sheer-Ali  for  the  use  of  his  cavalry,  but  had 
never  been  used.  They  consisted  of  a  large  square, 
three  sides  of  which  were  surrounded  by  a  lofty 
wall,  an  isolated  and  rocky  steep  hill  rising  at  the 
back  and  closing  the  fourth  side.  The  buildings 
were  amply  large  enough  to  contain  the  whole  of 
General  Roberts'  force,  and  there  was  abundant 
room  for  the  stores,  baggage  animals,  and  wagons ; 
the  only  fault  was,  indeed,  that  the  extent  of  wall 
to  be  defended  was  too  long  for  the  force  at  his 
disposal.  Round  two  sides  the  outer  wall  was  com- 
plete, but  on  the  third  it  had  not  been  taken  to  its 
full  height,  nor  had  it  been  continued  so  as  to  join 
the  hill  behind  it. 

Great  efforts  were  made  to  bring  in  sufficient 
provisions  and  forage  for  the  winter,  and  expeditions 
were  made  up  the  Logan,  Maidan,  and  other  valleys 
for  the  purpose.  "Winter  was  fast  setting  in. 
Snow  had  begun  to  fall  upon  the  hills,  and  ice 
formed  on  the  pools  every  night.  The  natives  of 
the  valleys  near  were  ready  enough  to  sell  their 
grain,  straw,  and  fuel,  but  few  supplies  came  in 
from  a  distance,  as  armed  bands  stopped  all  supplies 
on  their  way.  However,  a  sufiBcient  amount  of 
food  and  fuel  was  obtained  and  stored  in  Sherpur. 
Grain,  too,  was  procured  for  the  winter,  and  the 


5)60  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMtS. 

only  article  of  which  the  supply  was  insufficient 
was  chopped  straw,  of  which  a  very  large  quantity 
w^as  required. 

The  attitude  of  the  natives  grew  daily  more  hos- 
tile. Their  priests  were  preaching  a  revolt  to  the 
death,  and  recalling  to  the  people  how  their  fathers 
had  annihilated  a  British  force  thirty  years  before. 
Urged  alike  by  fanaticism  and  a  desire  for  plunder, 
the  natives  over  the  whole  country  were  seething 
with  excitement,  and  General  Roberts  saw  that  a 
crisis  was  approaching. 

The  Afghans  could  assemble  at  least  one  hundred 
thousand  men,  and  among  these  would  be  included 
all  the  troops  of  the  ameer's  disbanded  armies, 
armed  with  weapons  equal  to  our  own,  and  burn- 
ing to  revenge  the  defeats  which  had  been  inflicted 
upon  them.  To  oppose  them  the  English  general 
had  less  than  six  thousand  men.  But  though  pre- 
pared for  trouble,  the  storm,  when  it  came,  burst 
suddenly  upon  the  English.  The  enemy  were 
known  to  be  collecting  in  great  numbers  in  the 
Maidan  Valley,  and  two  columns  were  sent  out  to 
attack  them.  One  was  commanded  by  Macpherson, 
the  other  by  Baker.  Although  they  were  to  strike 
simultaneously  at  the  enemy,  their  route  of  march 
lay  up  di£ferent  valleys,  with  a  lofty  mountain 
range  between  them,  so  they  could  in  no  way  co- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  261 

operate  with  each  other.  After  they  had  started 
General  Massy  was  directed  to  move  out  with  a 
small  force  of  cavalry  and  a  battery  of  horse  ar- 
tillery, and  cooperate  with  General  Macpherson. 

An  hour  after  the  cavalry  had  started  General 
Roberts  himself  rode  out.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  usual  escort,  and  by  two  mounted  orderly  ser- 
geants. One  of  these  was  William  Gale.  They 
had  only  proceeded  a  short  distance  when  they 
heard  some  distance  ahead  of  them  the  guns  of  the 
Royal  Horse  Artillery  with  Massy  at  work,  and  the 
general  at  once  rode  forward  at  a  gallop. 

General  Macpherson  had  found  Mahomed  Jan, 
one  of  the  principal  leaders  of  the  Afghans,  with 
ten  thousand  men  near  Chardeh. 

A  fight  ensued.  The  guns  shelled  the  enemy, 
but  the  water-courses  prevented  the  cavalry  with 
Macpherson  acting,  and  Mahomed  Jan,  moving 
across  the  hills,  placed  himself  between  Macpher- 
son and  Cabul.  Shortly  afterward  General  Massy, 
who  had  with  him  three  troops  of  the  Ninth  Lan- 
cers and  forty-four  men  of  the  Fourteenth  Bengal 
Lancers,  with  four  guns  under  Major  Smith-Wynd- 
ham,  came  in  sight  of  a  portion  of  Mahomed  Jan's 
force. 

It  was  clear  that  these  had  in  some  way  inter- 
posed themselves  between  the  little  force  and  Mac- 


262  l^'OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

pherson's  column,  and  Massy  supposed  that  they 
were  a  party  of  fugitives  flying  before  the  force  of 
Macpherson  or  Baker.  As  they  came  streaming 
down  the  hill  he  got  his  guns  into  action.  After  a 
few  shells  had  been  fired,  the  enemy  advanced  in 
full  force.  Four  thousand  men  were  extended  in 
the  shape  of  a  crescent,  advancing  in  fairly  good 
order,  while  behind  was  an  irregular  mob  of  some 
six  thousand  men. 

The-  ground  upon  which  General  Massy  found 
himself  at  this  time  was  singularly  unfitted  for  the 
action  of  artillery.  It  was  cut  up  by  deep  water- 
courses, and  anything  like  rapidity  of  movement 
was  impossible.  It  would  have  been  prudent  had 
Massy,  when  he  saw  how  large  was  the  force  op- 
posed to  him,  at  once  retired  until  he  came  to 
ground  where  his  guns  could  be  rapidly  maneuvered  ; 
but  relying  upon  the  effect  of  the  shell,  he  remained 
in  the  position  in  which  he  had  first  discovered  the 
enemy.  The  shell  pitched  rapidly  into  the  thick  of 
the  Afghans,  but  no  effect  was  produced  in  check- 
ing their  advance.  They  did  not  waver  for  a  mo 
ment,  but  came  steadily  on.  The  enemy's  bullets 
were  now  dropping  fast  among  the  cavalry  and 
guns.  Thirty  of  the  Ninth  Lancers  were  dismount- 
ed and  opened  fire  with  their  Martini  carbines,  but 
the  enemy  were  too  numerous  to  be  checked  by  so 
small  a  body  of  men. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  263 

At  this  moment  Sir  Frederick  Roberts  arrived 
upon  the  spot.  The  position  was  serious,  and  to 
retire  the  guns  in  safety  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  check  the  advance  of  the  enemy.  General  Rob- 
erts therefore  ordered  Massy  to  send  his  cavalry  at 
the  enemy.  Colonel  Cleland  led  a  squadron  of  the 
Ninth  full  at  the  advancing  mass,  the  Bengal  Lan 
cers  following,  while.  Captain  Gough  with  his  troop 
of  the  Ninth  charged  the  enemy's  left  flank ;  but 
even  the  charge  at  Balaclava  was  scarcely  more 
desperate  than  this.  Two  hundred  and  twenty 
men,  however  gallant,  could  not  be  expected  to 
conquer  ten  thousand.  The  three  bodies  of  cavalry 
charged  at  full  speed  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy's 
infantry,  who  received  them  with  a  terrible  fire 
which  killed  many  horses  and  men.  The  impetus 
of  the  charge  bore  down  the  leading  ranks  of  the 
Afghans,  and  the  cavalry  tore  their  way  through 
the  mass  until  their  progress  was  blocked  by  sheer 
weight  of  numbers. 

A  desperate  inelee  took  place,  the  troopers  fight- 
ing with  their  sabers,  the  Afghans  with  knives  and 
clubbed  muskets.  Many  of  the  soldiers  were  struck 
from  their  horses,  some  were  dragged  to  their  feet 
again  by  their  comrades,  others  were  killed  upon 
the  ground.  The  chaplain  of  the  force,  the  Rev, 
Mr.  Adams,  had  accompanied  the  troopers  in  the 


264.  FOM  NAME  AND  FAME. 

charge,  and  seeing  a  man  jammed  under  a  fallen 
horse  he  leaped  from  his  saddle  and  extricated  him, 
and  brought  him  off  in  spite  of  the  attack  of  several 
Afghans.  For  this  act  of  bravery  he  received  the 
Victoria  Cross,  being  the  first  chaplain  in  the  army 
who  had  ever  obtained  that  decoration. 

When  the  dust  raised  by  the  charging  squadrons 
had  subsided  it  was  seen  that  the  enemy  were  still 
advancing.  The  Lancers  had  fallen  back,  and  as 
the  men  galloped  in  they  rallied  behind  Captain 
Gough's  troop,  which  had  kept  best  together,  and 
had  formed  up  again  between  the  guns  and  the 
enemy.  Lieutenants  Hersee  and  Ricardo  and  six- 
teen of  their  men  had  been  left  dead  upon  the 
ground.  Colonel  Cleland,  Lieutenant  Mackenzie, 
and  seven  of  the  troopers  were  wounded. 

A  second  charge  was  ordered,  but  this  time  it 
was  not  pushed  home,  as  a  wide  water-course 
checked  the  advance.  Under  cover  of  the  first 
cavalry  charge  Major  Smith-Wyndham  had  ordered 
two  of  the  guns  to  be  taken  off,  and  as  he  now  fell 
back  with  the  other  two  one  of  them  stuck  in  the 
water-course.  The  greatest  efforts  were  made  with 
the  horses  which  still  remained  uninjured  to  get  the 
gun  out,  but  the  enemy  were  pressing  close  on. 
Lieutenant  Hardy  was  killed  by  a  shot  through  the 
bead,  and  the  gun  was  abandoned.    The  other  threg 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  265 

guns  were  retired-  four  hundred  or  five  hundred 
yards  further,  but  here  they  became  hopelessly 
bogged  in  a  channel  deeper  than  any  that  had 
hitherto  been  met  with.  They  were  spiked  and  left 
in  the  water,  and  the  drivers  and  gunners  moved 
off  with  the  cavalry  just  as  the  enemy  poured  down 
upon.  them. 

Seeing  the  danger  of  the  situation  and  the  large 
force  of  the  enemy,  General  Koberts  had,  on  his 
first  arrival,  sent  off  a  trooper  at  full  gallop  to 
General  Gough,  who  commanded  at  Sherpur, 
ordering  him  to  send  out  two  hundred  men  of  the 
Seventy-second  Highlanders  at  the  double  to  hold 
the  gorge  leading  direct  from  the  scene  of  conflict 
to  Cabul.  There  was  but  a  very  small  garrison  of 
British  troops  in  the  city,  and  had  the  enemy  made 
their  way  there  the  townspeople  would  have  risen 
and  a  serious  disaster  taken  place.  After  leaving 
the  guns  behind  them  the  cavalry  retired  steadily 
toward  the  village  at  the  head  of  the  gorge,  keep- 
ing up  a  hot  fire  with  their  carbines  on  the  enemy 
who  pressed  upon  them. 

"Kide  back,  Sergeant  Gale,"  the  general  said, 
"  and  meet  the  Seventy-second.  Hurry  them  up  at 
full  speed — every  minute  is  precious." 

"William  Gale  rode  back  at  full  speed.  Until  a 
fortnight  before  he  had  never  been  on  a  horse,  but 


266  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  animal  which  he  rode  was  well  trained  and 
steady,  and  hitherto  he  had  had  no  difficulty  in 
keeping  his  seat  as  he  trotted  along  with  the  escort. 
It  was  a  different  thing  now,  for  the  ground  was 
rough  and  the  horse  going  at  a  full  gallop,  and  he 
clung  on  to  the  pommel  of  the  saddle  to  steady 
himself.  As  he  passed  through  the  village  he  saw 
the  Highlanders  coming  along  at  a  trot  half  a  mile 
further  on,  and  was  soon  beside  Colonel  Brownlow, 
who  commanded  them. 

"  The  enemy  are  pressing  the  cavalry  back,  sir," 
he  said  as  with  difficulty  he  pulled  up  his  horse. 
"The  general  desires  you  to  use  the  greatest  pos- 
sible speed,  as  every  moment  is  precious." 

Panting  and  out  of  breath  as  the  Highlanders 
were  they  responded  to  Colonel  Brownlow's  shout, 
and  rushing  forward  almost  at  racing  speed  reached 
the  village  while  the  Afghans  were  still  one  hun- 
dred yards  beyond  it.  They  instantly  opened  such 
a  fire  upon  the  enemy  that  the  latter  ceased  their 
advance  and  soon  fell  back,  and  Cabul  was  for  the 
moment  safe. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME,  267 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

THE    FIGHT   IN   THE   PASS. 

The  Afghan  force,  after  half  an  hour's  effort  to 
carry  the  village  held  by  the  Highlanders,  moved 
off  to  their  left,  and  working  along  the  hills  took 
poston  the  heights  beyond  the  Bala-Hissar.  In  the 
mean  time  General  Macpherson,  having  dispersed  a 
strong  body  of  the  enemy  up  the  valley,  marched 
back  toward  Cabul,  and  coming  across  the  scene  of 
the  late  action  brought  in  the  bodies  of  the  dead 
oificers.  The  guns  had  already  been  carried  off, 
for  as  the  enemy  advanced  Colonel  Macgregor,  col- 
lecting a  handful  of  lancers  and  artiller3mien, 
worked  round  to  their  rear,  and,  dispersing  a  small 
body  of  the  enemy  who  had  lingered  at  a  village 
near  the  guns,  succeeded  in  extricating  the  cannon 
from  the  swamp  and  carried  them  off  to  Sherpur, 

From  the  signal-post  established  above  the  Bala- 
Hissar  an  order  was  flashed  to  General  Baker,  who 
was  many  miles  away,  to  inform  him  of  what  had 
occurred,  and  to  order  him  to  march  back  with  all 
speed.    Late    that  evening   he  arrived   with    his 


208  POB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

column,  and  the  British  force  was  again  united. 
The  next  day  five  hundred  and  sixty  men  of  Mac- 
pherson's  brigade,  composed  of  portions  of  the 
Sixty-seventh,  the  Seventy-second,  the  Third  Sikhs, 
and  Fifth  Goorkhas,  vrere  sent  out  to  attack  the 
enemy,  who  had  established  themselves  upon  a  lofty 
peak  south  of  Cabul. 

The  Afghans  occupied  the  crest  in  strength,  and 
hidden  behind  the  hill  had  five  thousand  or  six 
thousand  men  lying  in  wait  to  attack  the  assailing 
party  in  the  rear  as  they  pressed  upward.  The 
position  was,  however,  too  strong  to  be  carried. 
After  several  hours  of  fighting  the  little  British 
force  had  driven  the  Afghans  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  hill,  but  were  unable  to  mount  toward  the 
crest,  for  ammunition  was  running  short,  and  the 
enemy  were  too  strongly  posted.  General  Roberts 
therefore  ordered  Macpherson  to  hold  the  ground 
which  he  had  gained  until  next  morning,  when 
more  troops  would  be  sent.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  accordingly.  General  Baker  moved  out 
from  Sherpur  with  a  strong  force  and  attacked  the 
enemy's  position  in  flank,  while  Macpherson  con- 
tinued his  advance  in  front.  The  Afghans  fought 
desperately,  and  clung  to  their  position  until  the 
British  were  close  up,  when  a  desperate  hand-to- 
hand  struggle  took  place,  and  the  British  became 
masters  of  the  positibn. 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  269 

"While  the  fighting  had  been  going  on  great 
masses  of  the  enemy  had  come  down  from  the  end 
of  the  valley  and  threatened  the  road  between 
Sherpur  and  Cabul.  The  Ninth  Lancers  made  a  mag- 
nificent charge  among  them,  broke  them,  and  drove 
them  back.  Several  other  brilliant  charges  were 
made,  and  the  plain  was  kept  clear  of  the  enemy. 
Captain  Butson,  however,  who  commanded,  was 
killed,  and  two  other  officers  wounded.  "With  each 
hour  that  passed  the  position  grew  more  serious,  as 
immense  bodies  of  the  enemy  were  seen  advancing 
from  all  sides.  The  city  was  now  in  open  revolt, 
and  the  small  garrison  there  with  difficulty  held 
their  own.  One  more  effort  was  made  to  drive  the 
enemy  off  the  hills. 

Early  on  the  15th  General  Baker,  with  twelve 
hundred  infantry  and  eight  guns,  left  the  canton- 
ment. After  very  severe  fighting  the  enemy  were 
driven  from  their  lowest  positions,  but  as  Baker 
advanced  a  body  of  from  fifteen  thousand  to  twenty 
thousand  of  the  enemy  marched  out  across  the 
plain  toward  the  position  just  captured.  Steadily 
they  advanced,  and  the  shells  which  our  mountain 
guns  sent  among  them,  and  the  volleys  poured 
down  from  the  face  of  the  hill,  did  not  suffice  to 
check  them  in  the  slightest.  Reassured  by  their 
own  enormous  numbers,  and  feeling  that  success 


270  V'OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

was    in   their    grasp,   they  pressed    forward    and 
desperate  fighting  took  place. 

A  position  held  by  the  Fifth  Punjaub  Infantry 
was  carried  by  their  attack  and  two  guns  were  lost, 
but  the  rest  of  the  positions  were  maintained. 
Seeing  that  it  was  impossible  to  hold  the  Bala- 
Hissar  and  Cabul  in  the  face  of  the  hordes  opposed 
to  him,  which  were  estimated  by  the  general  him- 
self as  numbering  eightv  thousand  men,  but  which 
the  Afghans  themselves  afterward  acknowledged 
were  between  one  hundred  thousand  and  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  thousand,  General  Roberts  deter- 
mined to  concentrate  his  troops  at  Sherpur.  Baker 
was  ordered  to  maintain  the  position  he  held  at  all 
costs  until  the  troops  from  the  Bala-IIissar  were 
withdrawn.  This  he  did ;  and  although  as  he  fell 
back  the  Afghan  hordes  swarmed  round  him,  he 
fought  his  way  back  to  Sherpur,  and  by  nightfall 
all  the  British  force  were  safely  gathered  in  the 
cantonments  there. 

Two  days  previously  General  Roberts  had  tele- 
graphed for  the  regiments  most  advanced  in  the 
passes  below  to  come  forward  ;  they  arrived  on  the 
morning  of  the  16th,  and  the  general  had  no 
longer  any  anxiety  as  to  his  ability  to  hold  the  can- 
tonments for  months,  if  necessary,  against  the  at- 
tacks of  the  Afghans.  "Had  these  attacked  on  the 


V'OR  NAME  AND  FAMK  $71 

morning  following  what  was  virtually  a  victory, 
while  still  flushed  with  triumph  and  excitement,  it 
would  have  needed  all  the  efforts  of  the  English  to 
hold  their  position  against  so  formidable  an  attack. 
The  Afghans,  however,  contented  themselves  with 
occupying  several  walled  villages  near  the  canton- 
ment and  keeping  up  an  incessant  Are  upon  it. 

Meanwhile  their  main  body  indulged  in  wild  ex- 
cesses in  Cabul,  sacking  the  Hindoo  quarter  and 
plundering  all  the  shops  without  much  distinction 
of  nationality.  Thus  three  days  elapsed,  the  British 
making  the  most  of  the  time  afforded  them  by 
strengthening  the  weak  points  of  their  defenses. 
Lines  of  wagons  were  placed  in  the  gap  between 
the  unfinished  wall  and  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Wires 
were  stretched  in  all  directions  and  chevaux-de-frise 
erected  beyond. 

On  the  18th  the  enemy  came  down  in  force,  and 
for  some  hours  a  tremendous  musketry  fire  was 
kept  up  at  the  position  ;  but  the  fire  of  the  mus- 
ketry and  guns  from  the  walls  was  so  hot  that  they 
did  not  venture  upon  an  attack.  The  following  day 
General  Baker  sallied  out  and  attacked  a  fortified 
post  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  wall.  From  this 
place  the  enemy  had  greatly  annoyed  the  garrison. 
After  some  severe  fighting  the  Afghans  were  driven 
out  and  the  place  blown  up. 


273  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

On  the  evening  of  the  22d  the  general  received 
news  that  the  Afghans,  having  prepared  a  great 
number  of  ladders  for  the  assault,  intended  to  at- 
tack that  night.  There  had  been  several  similar 
warnings,  but  this  time  the  news  proved  correct. 
A  signal  fire  was  lit  upon  one  of  the  heights  at  four 
in  the  morning,  and  at  five  o'clock  the  plain  was 
covered  with  the  enera}^  Quietly  they  crept  up  in 
the  darkness  toward  the  walls,  and  at  six  o'clock  a 
prodigious  shouting  was  heard,  and  from  the  vil- 
lages, orchards,  and  inclosed  ground  upon  all  sides 
the  enemy  dashed  forward  to  the  assault. 

As  they  approached  they  opened  fire  on  all  sides, 
pressing  chiefly  toward  the  weak  point  near  the 
foot  of  the  hills.  But  tremendous  as  was  the  roar 
of  the  Afghan  fire,  it  was  drowned  by  the  roll  of 
musketry  which  broke  from  the  whole  circuit  of 
the  walls  where  the  British  troops,  rifle  in  hand, 
had  been  lying  for  three  hours  waiting  the  attack. 

So  terrible  was  the  storm  of  lead  that  swept  the 
plain  that  the  Afghans  paused  in  their  advance. 
For  two  hours  they  remained  around  the  walls, 
yelling,  shouting,  and  firing  heavily ;  but  all  the 
efforts  of  their  leaders  could  not  induce  them  to 
rise  from  the  ground  and  hazard  a  charge.  Many 
dropped  within  eighty  or  ninety  yards  of  the  wall, 
but  beyond  that  the  bravest  dared  not  advance. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  %^^ 

When  morning  broke,  the  welcome  news  was 
brought  down  from  the  outlook  on  the  top  of  the 
hill  that  far  across  the  plain  could  be  seen  the  tents 
of  the  force  of  General  Gough,  who  was  coming  up 
through  the  passes  to  the  relief  of  the  garrison. 
The  news  had  reached  the  assailants.  Considerable 
bodies  of  the  enemy  were  observed  moving  out 
from  Cabul,  as  if  with  the  intention  of  attacking 
the  relieving  force.  The  assailants  of  the  British 
position,  finding  their  inability  to  produce  the 
smallest  impression,  were  now  beginning  to  waver, 
and  General  Gough  ordered  the  cavalry  and  horse 
artillery  to  go  out  by  the  road  which  led  through  a 
gorge  in  a  hill  behind,  and  to  sweep  round  and 
take  them  in  the  rear.  This  they  did  with  immense 
success.  At  the  moment  that  they  fell  upon  the 
enemy  the  British  infantry  sallied  out  from  the 
cantonment  and  attacked  them  in  front.  A  panic 
seized  the  Afghans ;  in  a  few  minutes  the  whole 
plain  was  covered  with  flying  fugitives,  among 
whom  our  cavalry  swept  backward  and  forward, 
cutting  them  up  in  all  directions,  while  the  fire  of 
our  infantry  and  of  the  guns  on  the  walls  searched 
them  through  and  though  whenever  they  attempted 
to  gather  in  a  knot  and  make  a  stand. 

By  nightfall  the  whole  of  the  Afghans  had  either 
-fled  to  the  hills  or  were  driven  into  Cabul.    Upon 


^74  l^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  following  day  General  Gough's  force  marched 
in ;  but  before  their  arrival  it  was  found  that  the 
enemy  had  again  evacuated  the  city,  and  the  British 
were,  as  before,  masters  of  the  position. 

After  the  decisive  defeat  which  had  been  inflicted 
upon  them,  and  the  dispersion  of  the  great  force 
which  had  gathered  confident  of  victory,  there  was 
little  fear  of  any  further  attempt  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy.  They  had  brought  their  whole  force  into 
the  field,  and  as  this  was  defeated  and  dispersed 
before  the  arrival  of  General  Gough  with  his  re- 
enforcements  it  was  evident  that  success  could  not 
be  hoped  for  against  the  united  strength  of  the 
English. 

The  time  passed  quietly  now.  The  Bala-Hissar 
and  Cabul  were  reoccupied,  and  as  the  natives  were 
cowed  by  the  crushing  defeat  they  had  experienced, 
there  was  no  longer  any  repetition  of  the  insolent 
and  defiant  manner  which  th^y  had  before  mani- 
fested. 

On  the  3d  of  January  a  message  was  brought  to 
the  orderly  room  that  the  general  wished  to  see 
Sergeant  Gale.  Upon  his  presenting  himself  at  the 
general's  quarters  Sir  Frederick  Roberts,  to  his  sur- 
prise, at  once  advanced  and  shook  him  warmly  by 
the  hand. 

"  Mr.  Gale,"'  be  said,  "  I  am  very  happy  to  inform 


POR  NAME  AND  FAMR  276 

you  that  the  Horse  Guards  have  acted  upon  my 
recommendation,  seconded  by  that  which  was  sent 
in  by  your  colonel,  who  wrote  at  once  upon  receiv- 
ing a  notification  from  me  of  the  step  I  had  taken, 
saying  that  you  had  distinguished  yourself  very 
highly  in  the  attack  upon  the  Peiwar  Khotal,  and 
that  he  was  convinced  that  you  would  make  in  all 
respects  an  excellent  officer.  With  my  dispatches 
that  have  just  come  in  I  have  received  a  notification 
that  my  request  has  been  attended  to,  together  with 
a  copy  of  the  Gazette,  in  which  you  are  appointed 
to  the  Sixty-sixth  Regiment.  I  have  to  congratu- 
late you,  sir ;  you  are  now  an  officer,  and  will,  I  am 
quite  sure,  do  every  credit  to  my  recommendation." 

The  young  soldier  was  for  a  moment  too  moved 
at  the  tidings  to  speak  coherently,  but  he  mur- 
mured his  thanks  to  the  general  for  his  kindness. 

"Do  not  say  anything  about  that,"  the  general 
said  heartily ;  ''  it  is  a  pleasure  to  me  to  have  been 
able  to  advance  a  promising  young  soldier.  I  am 
only  sorry  that  you  are  not  gazetted  to  a  regiment 
in  my  own  division.  The  Sixt3'^-sixth  are  at  Canda- 
har,  and  unfortunately  they  will  not,  I  understand, 
form  part  of  a  column  with  ^yhich  General  Stuart 
will  advance  in  the  spring  up  the  valley  through 
Ghuzni  to  this  place.  Had  it  been  so  it  would  have 
been  best  for  you  to  wait  their  arrival  here;  but  as 


S76  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMS. 

it  is  you  had  better  go  down  the  pass  to  India  and 
work  round  and  join  your  regiment.  It  is  a  long 
road,  but  it  is  always  best  for  a  young  officer  to  be 
with  his  regiment,  especially  when  in  the  field,  and  it 
is  possible  that  they  may  have  their  share  of  fighting 
round  Candahar.  And  now  there  is  one  thins: 
more.  You  will  have  to  get  an  outfit,  and  there 
will  be  the  expense  of  your  travel  until  you  join 
your  regiment.  There  will  be  no  difficulty  about 
an  outfit.  This  you  can  procure  easily  on  the  sale 
of  some  officer's  effects.  By  the  by,  poor  young 
Thompson,  who  died  3^esterday,  was  about  your 
size,  and  you  had  better  bid  a  lump  sum  for  the 
whole  of  his  kit.  I  shall  be  happy  to  be  your 
banker  for  that  and  the  needful  sura  for  your  trav- 
eling expenses.  When  you  join  your  regiment  you 
will,  of  course,  be  able  to  draw  your  pay  from  the 
date  on  which  you  were  gazetted." 

Will  thanked  the  general  very  heartily  for  his 
offer,  but  said  that  he  had  £100  standing  at  his  ac- 
count at  the  Bank  of  Hindostan,  which  had  been 
presented  to  him  b}'^  the  owners  of  the  vessel  in 
which  he  arrived  there,  and  that  this  would  be  more 
than  sufficient  for  all  his  needs  if  the  general  would 
kindly  authorize  the  staff  paymaster  to  cash  his 
drafts  upon  the  bank. 

This  request  was  at  once  granted.     The  paymas- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  277 

ter  of  Lieutenant  Thompson's  regiment  estimated 
that  the  effects  of  the  young  officer  would  sell  at 
auction  for  about  £20,  and  this  sum  William  Gale 
gladly  paid,  thereby  obtaining  a  complete  outfit  of 
regimental  and  civilian  clothes  and  under  linen  of 
all  descriptions.  Another  £30  bought  him  a  horse 
and  saddlery ;  while  for  £5  he  obtained  a  rough 
pony  for  the  use  of  Yossouf,  who  steadily  refused 
to  leave  him,  although  Will  pointed  out  to  him  that, 
glad  as  he  should  be  to  have  him  with  him,  it  would 
be  far  more  to  his  advantage  to  remain  among  his 
people  at  Cabul,  Avhere  he  had  means  of  settling 
comfortably. 

Upon  the  following  day,  having  obtained  his  new 
uniform,  which  he  found  required  no  alteration  to 
fit  him  fairly,  William.  Gale  dined  with  General 
Eoberts,  who  had  kindly  invited  him  in  order  to 
introduce  him  in  his  new  position  to  the  officers  of 
his  staff.  He  was  obliged  to  remain  three  or  four 
days  longer  at  Sherpur  until  a  strong  escort  with 
sick  was  going  down  through  the  passes  to  Jellala- 
bad.  His  baggage  was  stowed  upon  a  camel,  and 
after  a  kind  adieu  from  General  Eoberts,  and  a 
very  cordial  one  from  the  staff  sergeants,  among 
whom  he  had  worked  for  three  months,  he  started 
with  the  convoy  for  the  lower  valleys.  The  escort 
consisted  of  a  hundred  men  of  the  infantry  of  the 


278  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Guides.  The  way  down  the  pass  was  diflBcult,  but 
no  snow  had  fallen  for  three  weeks,  and  the  roads 
were  fairly  beaten  down  by  passing  parties.  Still 
their  progress  was  slow,  and  late  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day  after  starting  they  were  still  four 
miles  from  the  fort  of  Jugdulluk,  which  was  held 
by  a  British  force,  and  where  they  were  to  halt  for 
the  night. 

The  Guides  were  on  the  alert.  A  party  of  four 
men  were  two  hundred  yards  ahead  of  the  little 
column,  which  was  commanded  by  Captain  Edwards. 
Presently  a  shot  rang  out  from  the  front  followed 
by  a  scattered  discbarge.  William  Gale  was  at  the 
moment  riding  by  the  side  of  Captain  Edwards ;  he 
had  already  placed  himself  under  that  officer's 
orders  in  case  of  any  emergency. 

"Mr.  Gale,"  Captain  Edwards  said,  "will  you 
ride  forward  at  once  with  six  men  to  the  advanced 
party  ?  When  you  get  there  take  such  measures  as 
you  may  think  fit,  and  send  me  back  word  as  to  the 
strength  and  position  of  the  enemy." 

With  six  of  the  Guides  Will  at  once  rode  forward, 
while  Captain  Edwards  halted  until  the  little 
column  was  gathered  closely  together,  the  camels 
and  dhoolies  with  sick  men  in  the  center,  the  sol- 
diers in  readiness  for  action  around  them.  A  sol- 
dier now  ran  up  with  a  slip  of  paper  upon  which 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  279 

AVill  had  scribbled  in  pencil :  "  The  enemy  are  ap- 
parently in  considerable  force.  The  defile  opens 
here.  They  are  disposed  among  rocks  and  bowlders 
on  either  side." 

Will  on  arriving  at  the  advanced  party  had 
found  at  once  that  the  force  of  the  enemy  was  too 
strong  for  him  to  attempt  to  move  forward  at  pres- 
ent. He  had  posted  the  men  behind  bowlders  by 
the  wayside,  ordering  them  to  pick  off  any  man 
that  showed  himself,  and  they  were  soon  engaged 
in  a  sharp  musketry  skirmish  with  the  enemy. 
One  of  their  number  had  fallen  at  the  first  dis- 
charge, and  Will,  taking  his  rifle,  used  it  with  effect 
until  the  head  of  the  convoy  arrived. 

It  was  now  fast  becoming  dark,  and  the  flashes 
of  the  enemy's  fire  from  behind  the  rocks  showed 
how  numerous  were  the  assailants. 

"  There  must  be  a  couple  of  thousands  of  the 
scoundrels,"  Will  said  to  Captain  Edwards  as  the 
latter  came  up  to  ascertain  the  state  of  affairs. 
"  Hampered  with  the  convoy,  the  position  is  an 
awkward  one.  It  is  fortunate  they  attacked  where 
they  did,  for  we  can  hold  our  own  here ;  while,  if 
they  had  waited  till  we  got  fairly  down  into  this 
comparatively  open  valley  and  then  attacked  us  on 
both  flanks,  it  would  have  been  very  awkward.  We 
must  try  and  clear  them  out ;  we  cannot  stop  here 


280  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

all  night.  It  is  freezing  ver}'^  sharp  now,  and  the 
cold  will  be  intense  in  an  hour  or  two." 

"I  will  take  thirty  men,"  Captain  Edwards  said, 
"  and  skirmish  along  among  the  rocks  on  the  left. 
Bo  you  take  as  many  more,  and  move  along  the 
right  of  the  path.  The  remaining  forty  shall  stay 
here  under  my  sergeant  to  guard  the  convoy  from 
an  attack  in  rear  in  case  any  of  the  enemy  should 
come  down  the  defile  behind  us." 

The  fight  soon  became  exceedingly  hot.  Making 
their  way  along  the  rocks  on  either  side  of  the  path, 
the  Guides  slowly  drove  the  enemy  before  them. 
It  was  hard  work,  however,  for  the  tribesmen  fought 
steadily,  and  as  those  in  front  fell  back  upon  those 
lower  down  the  valley  their  resistance  became  every 
moment  more  obstinate.  Eight  of  Will's  party  had 
alrea<ly  fallen  ;  but  although,  sword  in  hand,  he  was 
leading  them,  encouraging  them  with  voice  and 
gesture,  not  a  bullet  had  as  yet  struck  him.  Pres- 
ently Captain  Edwards,  having  crossed  the  valley, 
stood  by  his  side. 

"  We  are  at  a  standstill,"  he  said.  "  Nine  of  ray 
men  are  killed  or  wounded  already,  and  the  fellows 
are  as  thick  as  peas.  I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  be 
able  to  force  our  way  through.  There,"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  a  sound  of  firing  was  heard  in  the  rear, 
"  they  have  come  down  on  the  convoy  from  behind. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  281 

We  had  better,  I  think,  fall  back  a  bit,  and  take 
post  near  the  mouth  of  the  defile.  AVe  must  defend 
ourselves  as  best  we  can  till  morning." 

The  movement  was  steadily  executed,  the  wound- 
ed men  being  carried  with  them  as  they  retired. 
The  tribesmen  advanced  as  they  fell  back,  not  ven- 
turing to  press  them,  however,  for  the  rear-guard 
kept  their  faces  toward  them,  and  any  who  ventured 
to  show  themselves  instantly  paid  the  penalty  of 
their  rashness.  For  an  hour  the  fight  went  on.  It 
was  night  now,  and  dark  as  pitch  in  the  deep  valley 
in  which  the  fight  was  going  on,  the  position  of  the 
combatants  being  only  indicated  by  the  flickering 
flashes  of  the  muskets.  The  Afghans  were  gradu- 
ally creeping  nearer,  as  the  Guides  could  see  by  the 
flashes. 

"  If  the  fellows  only  make  a  determined  rush  at 
us,"  Captain  Edwards  said  to  Will,  "  it  will  go  bard 
with  us.  Fortunately  they  are  as  much  in  the  dark 
as  we  are,  and  will  find  it  difficult  to  gather  for  a 
rush." 

"  I  think  we  may  hold  out  till  morning,  but  by 
that  time  news  that  we  are  blockaded  here  will 
spread  throughout  the  hills,  and  we  may  have  ten 
thousand  of  them  down  on  us.  I  think,  if  you  will 
give  me  leave,  the  best  plan  will  be  for  me  to  try 
and  make  my  way  down  to  Jugdulluk  to  bring  up 
help  from  there." 


282  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  You  would  never  get  through,"  Captain  Ed- 
wards advised.  "  It  is  a  brave  offer,  Gale,  but  could 
not  be  done." 

"  I  think  it  might  be  done,"  Will  said.  "  It  is  as 
dark  as  pitch.  I  will  take  my  lad  with  me,  and 
will  borrow  a  native  cap  and  cloak  from  one  of  the 
bearers — there  are  some  Afghans  among  them.  I 
will  take  off  my  patrol  jacket  and  leave  it  behind 
me,  and  my  boots.  We  will  crawl  along  in  the 
dark.  If,  as  is  likely  enough,  we  stumble  against 
some  of  them,  we  will  say  we  are  wounded  and  are 
making  our  way  to  the  rear.  They  cannot  see  us 
in  the  dark,  and  my  Afghan  will  pass  muster,  and 
Yossouf  will  certainly  not  be  suspected.  If  I  am 
discovered  and  killed  he  will  go  forward  and  de- 
liver the  message." 

The  plan  seemed  to  offer  every  possibility  of  suc- 
cess, and  Captain  Edwards,  seeing  how  serious  the 
position  was,  consented  to  allow  Will  to  attempt  it. 

A  few  words  to  Yossouf  sufficed  to  inform  him  of 
the  task  Will  was  about  to  undertake,  and  he  •<>.l 
once  agreed  to  share  the  danger.  A  rough  sheep- 
skm  cap  was  obtained  for  Will  from  one  of  the 
camel  men.  His  tunic  was  thrown  off,  and  a  posteen 
or  Afghan  sheepskin  coat  was  put  on  in  its  place. 
He  took  a  long  matchlock  which  the  camel  man 
carried  slung  over  bis  shoulders,  took  off  his  boots, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  283 

and  thrust  a  pair  of  loose  Afghan  shoes  into  his 
belt.  Yossouf  needed  no  preparations  beyond  bor- 
rowing a  matchlock.  Wringing  Captain  Edwards' 
hand,  Will  stooped  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and, 
with  Yossouf  a  pace  or  two  ahead,  began  to  crawl 
down  the  path. 

Before  starting  the  orders  had  been  sent  round 
to  the  soldiers  to  fire  at  the  rocks  on  either  side  of 
the  path,  but  on  no  account  to  fire  down  the  road 
itself.  As  he  expected,  Will  found  this  clear  of 
Afghans  for  a  considerable  distance.  A  heavy  fire 
had,  previous  to  their  starting,  been  directed  down 
this  path  to  prevent  the  Afghans  from  gathering 
there  in  the  darkness  preparatory  to  making  a  rush. 
They  came  across  several  dead  bodies,  but  the 
enemy  were  all  behind  rocks  on  one  side  or  other  of 
the  road. 

When  they  had  crawled  a  hundred  yards  they 
were  past  the  front  line,  from  which  the  Afghans 
were  keeping  up  a  heavy  fire ;  but  Will  knew  that 
from  their  numbers  the}'  must  extend  far  back  down 
the  valley,  and  indeed  from  almost  every  rock  the 
flashes  of  the  matchlocks  blazed  out  as  the  lurkinsr 
tribesmen  fired  in  the  direction  of  the  mouth  of  the 
defile.  They  were  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down 
when  an  Afghan,  who  had  been  crouching  behind  a 
rock  close  to  the  path,  advanced  into  the  road  to 
fire,  when  he  stumbled  against  Yossouf. 


284  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

'•What  are  you  doing?"  he  exclaimed. 

"  We  are  both  wounded  by  the  KaflSrs,"  Yossouf 
answered,  "  and  are  making  our  way  back  to  bind 
up  our  wounds.  I  think  my  arm  is  broken,  but  I 
mean  to  come  back  again  to  have  a  few  more  shots 
at  the  infidels." 

"  Good  !"  the  Afghan  replied.  "  How  goes  it  in 
front  ?" 

"Their  fire  is  lessening,"  Yossouf  said.  "We 
must  have  killed  many.  We  shall  finish  with  them 
in  the  morning  if  not  before." 

The  Afghan  fired,  and  then  retired  behind  his 
rock  to  load  again,  w^hile  Will  and  Yossouf  con- 
tinued their  way.  A  few  hundred  yards  further 
they  rose  to  their  feet.  Will  slipped  on  the  Afghan 
shoes,  and  they  then  proceeded  at  a  rapid  pace 
down  the  pass.  Several  times  they  withdrew  from 
the  road  and  hid  beside  it  as  they  met  parties  of 
tribesmen  hurrying  up  to  join  in  the  attack,  but  in 
an  hour  after  starting  they  heard  the  welcome 
challenge  of  the  sentry  at  Jugdulluk.  Saying  who 
he  was,  Will  was  at  once  passed  forward  into  the 
fort  and  taken  to  the  quarters  of  the  officer  in  com- 
mand. 

"  I  am  Lieutenant  Gale,  of  the  Sixty-sixth,"  Will 
said,  "  and  was  on  my  way  down  the  pass  with  the 
convoy  of  wounded  and  one  hundred  men  of  the 


FOR  NAMIS  AND  FAME.  285 

Guides  under  Captain  Edwards.  Tliey  have  been 
attacked  at  the  lower  end  of  the  defile,  some  four 
miles  above,  by  a  very  strong  body  of  tribesmen. 
They  are  attacked  front  and  rear.  I  have  made  ray 
way  through  to  ask  you  if  you  can  dispatch  a  force 
to  their  rescue.  Were  the  tribesmen  attacked  in 
their  rear  now  they  might  be  scattered  easily 
enough,  but  they  are  assembling  very  fast,  and  in 
the  morning  it  will  be  a  diflacult  matter  to  reach 
them." 

"  We  have  fancied,"  the  officer  said,  "  for  the 
last  two  hours  that  we  heard  distant  firing,  but  we 
could  not  be  sure,  for  any  noise  echoes  so  in  these 
mountains.  I  will  set  out  at  once  with  you  with  as 
many  men  as  I  can  spare." 


2S6  iOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  XYII. 


AT  CANDAHAB. 


The  garrison  of  Jugdulluk  consisted  only  of  two 
hundred  and  twenty  Sikhs.  The  officer  in  com- 
mand left  sevent}'^  of  these  in  charge  of  one  of  his 
subalterns,  with  the  injunction  to  exercise  the  most 
extreme  vigilance  in  his  absence.  Then  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  a  subaltern,  and  Will  Gale 
he  started  up  the  path  to  effect  the  rescue  of  the 
beleaguered  convoy.  The  road  wound  and  turned 
frequently  among  the  spurs  of  the  lofty  hills  which 
had  cut  off  the  sound  of  firing  from  the  garrison, 
and  only  a  faint  and  distant  murmur  was  audible 
when  they  started.  After  marching  two  miles, 
however,  the  rattle  of  the  musketry  became  clear 
and  distinct.  Upon  the  way  the  officer  in  command 
learned  from  Will  the  exact  position  of  things  in 
front  and  the  situation  of  the  Afghans. 

When  within  half  a  mile  of  the  scene  of  action 
fifty  men  were  thrown  out  on  either  side  of  the 
road,  while  the  other  fifty  advanced  very  slowly 


POR  NAME  AND  PAM&  287 

along  the  center.  The  orders  to  the  flankers  were 
to  search  among  the  rocks  as  they  advanced,  and  to 
bayonet  or  shoot  every  Afghan  they  found  among 
them.  It  was  not  long  before  they  came  upon  the 
enemy.  Then  the  rifles  cracked  out,  and  the  w^ild 
shouts  of  the  Afghans  betokened  their  astonishment 
at  being  thus  unexpectedly  assailed  in  rear. 

Numerous  as  they  were  they  offered  but  a  slight 
resistance.  Their  one  thought  was  to  effect  their 
escape ;  and  they  hurried  rapidly  away  as  the  relief 
advanced,  climbing  the  steep  sides  of  the  valley  by 
paths  only  known  to  themselves,  and  then  from  the 
hillside  far  above  opening  a  scattered  fire  at  random 
down  into  the  valley. 

In  five  minutes  all  resistance  had  ceased.  The 
flanking  parties  were  ordered  to  shelter  themselves 
behind  the  rocks  and  to  return  the  fire  of  the 
natives  on  the  hillsides,  to  retain  the  position  until 
the  convoy  passed  through,  and  then  to  close  be- 
hind it  as  a  rear-guard. 

With  the  fifty  men  in  the  road  the  ofiicer  then 
pushed  forward,  and  was  soon  greeted  by  a  shout 
of  welcome  from  the  defenders  of  the  defile.  There 
was  not  a  minute  to  be  lost,  for  the  Afghans,  when 
they  recovered  from  their  first  scare,  would  renew 
the  attack  ;  and  the  party  pressing  down  the  defile 
on  their  rear,  ignorant  of  what  had  taken  place 


288  fOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

below,  were  still  keeping  up  an  incessant  fire. 
Twenty -eight  of  the  Guides  were  already  killed  or 
wounded. 

Several  of  the  sick  men  in  the  dhoolies  volun- 
teered to  walk  down  to  the  fort  and  to  give  up 
their  places  to  those  of  the  wounded  men  who  were 
unable  to  walk,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  convoy 
moved  forward. 

The  fifty  men  of  the  relieving  party  placed  them- 
selves in  their  near;  and  as  the  tribesmen  who  had 
been  attacking  them  from  behind  rushed  down 
through  the  defile  with  exulting  shouts,  believing 
that  thev  were  now  secure  of  their  victims,  the 
Sikhs  opened  so  heavy  a  fire  on  them  that  they  fell 
back  up  the  defile  in  disorder.  As  the  convoy 
wound  down  the  valley  the  enemy  again  assembled 
on  the  hills  and  pursued  them  hotly.  But  the 
Sikhs  and  Guides  kept  up  so  steady  a  fire  that  they 
did  not  venture  to  approach  to  close  quarters,  and 
with  a  loss  of  eighteen  more  men  the  convoy 
reached  the  shelter  of  the  fort.  Conscious  of  their 
inability  to  attack  this  position  the  Afghans  drew 
off. 

On  returning  to  his  friends  Will  had  resumed  his 
uniform,  and  now  on  reaching  the  fort  Captain 
Edwards  expressed  to  him  his  warmest  thanks  for 
the  hazardous  adventure  that  he  had  undertaken. 


POM  NAME  AND  FAME.  289 

"I  shall,  of  course,"  he  concluded,  "furnish  a 
full  report  of  the  affair  to  the  general,  and  I  should 
think  he  would  recommend  you  for  the  Victoria 
Cross.  If  any  fellow  ever  deserved  it  you  do  so, 
for  it  seemed  to  me  almost  certain  death  to  venture 
through  the  pass.  I  never  expected  to  see  you 
again,  and  I  was  never  more  glad  in  my  life  than  I 
was  when  the  firing  began  down  below  in.  the  val- 
ley, and  knew  that  help  was  at  hand  ;  for  had  you 
failed  it  would  have  been  all  up  with  us.  I  doubt 
if  we  should  have  seen  the  morning,  and  at  any 
rate  few  of  us  would  have  been  left  by  that  time." 

The  convoy  reached  Jellalabad  without  further 
adventure,  and  Captain  Edwards  reported  to  the 
general  the  events  of  the  march.  lie  w^as  requested 
to  give  a  full  written  report  of  the  affair,  and  the 
general  stated  that  in  forwarding  it  he  should 
certainly  append  a  recommendation  that  Lieutenant 
Gale  should  receive  the  Victoria  Cross  for  his 
gallantry  in  venturing  through  the  Afghans  to 
fetch  assistance  for  the  convoy. 

Will  himself,  as  soon  as  he  reached  Jellalabad, 
hurried  away  to  the  cantonment  of  the  Norfolk 
Rangers,  who  wer^  in  a  village  a  mile  distant  from 
the  town.  He  was  not  recognized  as  he  passed 
through  the  soldiers  scattered  about  the  village 
street,  and  was  soon  at  the  principal  house  where 


290  fOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

the  colonel  had  his  quarters.  On  sending  in  his 
name  he  was  at  once  shown  into  the  room,  where 
the  colonel  was  at  work. 

"  I  am  indeed  glad  to  see  you,"  the  latter  said, 
rising  and  shaking  him  heartily  by  the  hand,  "  and 
I  congratulate  you  most  warmly  on  your  promotion. 
I  promised  to  do  what  I  could  for  you  when  you 
joined,  but  I  did  not  expect  that  it  would  be  so 
soon." 

"  I  am  indeed  obliged  to  you,  colonel,  for  your 
kindness,"  Will  said,  "  and  am  conscious  how  much 
I  owe  to  you." 

"  Not  at  all,  ray  boy,  not  at  all ;  it  was  General 
Roberts  himself  who  recommended  you  for  your 
commission,  an^i  I  was  only  too  glad  to  back  up  his 
recommendation  to  the  best  of  my  power.  We  all 
thought  you  were^one  when  you  were  reported  as 
missing  at  Alikheyl,  and  we  heard  from  the  sentry 
that,  having  gone  forward  to  investigate  the  origin 
of  a  noise  he  had  reported  to  you,  you  were  sud- 
denly fired  upon,  and  that  he  saw  no  more  of  you 
as  he  ran  back  to  the  picket.  I  was  glad  indeed 
when  the  report  was  received  from  poor  Cavagnari 
that  upon  his  arrival  at  Cabul  he  had  found  3'ou 
there  just  recovering  from  your  wounds.  Then,  of 
course,  we  gave  you  up  again  when  we  heard  of  the 
massacre  of  the  mission ;    and  it  seemed   like  a 


Pott  NAME  AND  FAME\  2^1 

resurrection  from  the  dead  when  I  got  a  letter  from 
Roberts  saying  you  were  found  again,  and  that  he 
was  recommending  you  for  a  commission.  I  see  by 
the  Gazette  you  are  appointed  to  the  Sixty-sixth, 
and  we  were  expecting  to  see  j'^ou  on  your  way 
down.  Had  you  any  difficulty  in  getting  through 
the  passes  ?" 

"  The  convoy  was  attacked,  sir,  by  the  tribesmen 
when  near  Jugdulluk,  but  the  garrison  came  out  to 
our  rescue  and  we  got  through  safely.  But  we  had 
thirty  men  killed  or  wounded." 

" A  smart  affair !"  the  colonel  said.  "And  now 
of  course  you  will  take  up  your  quarters  with  us 
for  a  day  or  two  before  you  go  on.  The  officers 
will  all  be  glad  to  see  you,  and  you  will  be  able  to 
tell  us  all  about  the  attack  on  the  mission  and  the 
recent  fighting.  Roberts  has  been  having  some  hot 
work  there.  We  have  been  grumbling  horribly  at 
our  bad  luck.  We  thought  at  the  time  we  were 
fortunate  at  being  sent  back  to  India  when  peace 
was  signed,  instead  of  being  kept  in  the  Khuram 
Yalley.  But  the  consequence  has  been  that  we 
have  been  out  of  it  all.  However,  we  must  look 
upon  you  as  our  representative." 

Will  hesitated  about  staying,  but  the  colonel 
overruled  his  objection,  saying  that  as  there  would 
be  no  fighting  until  the  spring  there  could  be  no 


292  ^R  NAME  A ND  FAME. 

particular  hurry  for  him  to  join  his  regiment.  A 
spare  room  was  placed  at  his  disposal  in  the 
colonel's  quarters,  and  Will  was  soon  made  at  home. 
The  officers  flocked  in  upon  hearing  of  his  arrival, 
and  all  congratulated  him  most  warmly  upon  his 
promotion.  An  hour  later  a  mounted  orderly  rode 
up  to  the  colonel's  quarters. 

"  Is  Lieutenant  Gale  here  ?"  he  asked.  Will  went 
forward. 

"  A  note  from  the  general,"  the  orderly  said, 
handing  it  to  him ;  "also  one  for  Colonel  Shepherd." 
Will's  note  was  simply  an  invitation  to  dine  that 
evening  with  the  general.  The  colonel's  letter  was 
as  follows : 

"  Dear  Colonel  Shepherd  :  As  Lieutenant  Gale 
was  promoted  from  your  regiment  1  think  it  is 
likely  that  he  has  found  his  way  to  you.  1  have 
written  to  ask  him  to  dinner;  please  spare  him  to 
me.  I  hope  you  will  do  me  the  pleasure  of  accom- 
panying him.  He  has  performed  a  most  gallant 
action,  and  I  have  just  had  the  pleasure  of 
writing  a  dispatch  recommending  him  for  the 
V.C." 

Will  and  the  colonel  at  once  wrote  notes  accept- 
ing the  invitation.  When  these  had  been  sent  out 
to  the  orderly  the  colonel  read  aloud  to  the  officers 
present  the  note  he  had  received  from  the  general. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  turning  to  Will,  "  what  is  that 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  293 

you  have  been  doing  ?  You  told  us  the  convoy  had 
been  attacked  and  sharply  pressed,  but  you  said 
nothing  of  your  share  in  the  affair.    What  was  it  V 

"  It  was  simple  enough,  sir,"  Will  answered,  col- 
oring hotly.  "We  were  surrounded  just  at  the 
mouth  of  the  defile.  The  enemy  held  the  valley  in 
front  in  great  force,  and  another  party  were  press- 
ing on  our  rear.  Things  looked  awkward,  and  so  I 
volunteered  with  my  faithful  Afghan  boy  to  get 
through  the  fellows  in  front  and  make  my  way 
down  to  Jugdulluk,  which  was  four  miles  away,  to 
bring  the  garrison  up  on  their  rear.  It  was  simple 
enough,  and  in  fact  there  was  less  danger  than  in 
remaining  with  the  convoy  to  be  popped  at  by  the 
Afghans.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  down  in 
the  bottom  one  could  hardly  see  one's  hand.  -The 
Afghans  had  been  cleared  pretty  well  off  the  road 
by  our  fire,  so  there  was  no  difficulty  w^hatever  in 
making  our  way  down.  We  were,  in  fact,  only 
questioned  once ;  and  my  boy's  statement,  that  we 
were  wounded  and  were  going  to  the  rear,  was  ac- 
cepted at  once." 

"  The  fact  that  you  succeeded,"  the  colonel  said, 
"  does  not  detract  from  the  pluck  required  to  at- 
tempt such  an  adventure.  To  my  mind  there  is 
more  courage  required  in  venturing  alone  through 
the  midst  of  the  Afghans  at  night  than  there  would 


294  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

be  in  charging  any  number  of  them  in  hot  blood  in 
the  light.  You  have  earned  the  V.  C.  well,  Gale, 
and  I  am  sure  we  all  feel  proud  of  you,  though  you 
do  not  belong  to  us  now." 

There  was  a  chorus  of  approval  from  the  oflBcers 
around. 

'•  I  don't  belong  to  you  now,  sir,  but,"  Will  said 
earnestly,  "  I  shall  always  feel,  whatever  regiment 
I  may  be  with,  that  the  Norfolk  Hangers  are  my 
corps.  It  is  the  kindness  w^hich  was  shown  me  here 
which  has  put  me  in  the  way  of  rising,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  it." 

It  was  now  time  to  dress  for  dinner,  and  Will  for 
the  first  time  arrayed  himself  in  full-dress  uniform. 
The  buttons  and  facings  he  would  of  course  get  al- 
tered when  he  joined  the  regiment.  The  general 
received  Gale  with  great  kindness.  He  had  a  large 
party  to  dinner;  among  them  was  Captain  Ed- 
wards ;  and  after  the  table  was  cleared  the  latter, 
at  the  general's  request,  gave  a  full  account  of  the 
attack  upon  the  convoy,  and  Will  was  then  called 
upon  to  relate  the  part  which  he  had  taken  in  it, 
which  he  did  very  modestly  and  quietl3^ 

For  two  days  longer  he  stopped  at  Jellalabad, 
and  then  with  a  hearty  farewell  to  the  officers  of 
the  Rangers  he  started  down  the  pass.  He  again 
journeyed  with  a  convoy;  for  although  the  tribes 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME  295 

below  Jellalabad  were  cowed  into  submission,  many 
attacks  were  made  by  the  mountaineers  upon  small 
parties  going  up  or  down  the  passes,  and  stringent 
orders  had  been  issued  that  no  oificer  should  go 
down  except  when  accompanied  by  an  escort. 

After  a  week's  traveling  Will  arrived  with  Yos- 
souf  at  Peshawur,  then  he  rode  by  easy  stages  until 
he  reached  the  Indus,  where,  taking  his  place  on  a 
steamer,  he  traveled  down  the  river  to  Sukkur, 
where  he  disembarked  and  started  for  the  weary 
march  across  the  desert  to  the  foot  of  the  Bolan. 

Along  the  road  large  numbers  of  coolies  were  at 
work  constructing  a  line  of  railway  which  was  now 
almost  complete  to  the  foot  of  the  pass.  It  did  not 
ascend  this,  but  turning  to  the  right  wound  up  the 
hills  to  the  plateau.  It  was  intended  to  be  taken 
on  to  Candahar,  and  its  completion  would  have 
been  ,an  immense  boon  both  to  that  city  and  to 
India,  as  it  would  have  opened  a  great  trade  to  the 
north,  and  have  enabled  the  inhabitants  of  the  fer- 
tile plain  around  Candahar  to  send  their  corn,  fruit, 
and  other  products  down  to  India.  Unhappily, 
with  the  subsequent  abandonment  of  Candahar  the 
formation  of  the  railway  was  stopped,  and  the  whole 
allowed  to  go  to  ruin.  The  work  has,  however,  been 
recently  taken  in  hand  again. 

Will  and  his  follower  ascended  the  Bolan,  stopped 


296  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

a  day  or  two  at  Quettah  to  rest  their  horses,  and 
then  proceeded  on  through  the  fertile  plains  of 
Pisheen  and  over  the  Kojak  Pass,  and  thence  on 
to  Candahar.  Here  Will  joined  his  new  regiment 
and  was  well  received  by  its  officers. 

In  every  regiment  in  the  service  an  officer  risen 
from  the  ranks  is  invariably  received  with  special 
courtesy  and  kindness.  Every  endeavor  is  made  to 
place  him  at  his  ease  in  his  new  position.  This 
is  specially  so  when,  as  in  Will's  case,  the  promo- 
tion, has  been  earned  by  distinguished  services  in  the 
field. 

In  most  instances  officers  promoted  from  the  rank 
of  sergeant  are  a  good  deal  older  than  the  young 
lieutenants  among  whom  they  find  themselves. 
Being  often  married  men,  and  having  nothing  but 
their  pay  to  depend  upon,  they  find  themselves, 
therefore,  unable  to  take  much  part  in  the  pleasures 
and  gayeties  of  the  regiment. 

In  India,  however,  as  the  rate  of  pay  is  much 
higher,  an  unmarried  officer  can  live  very  comfort- 
ably on  his  pay ;  and  as  in  the  field  the  expenses 
are  far  less  than  when  a  regiment  is  in  cantonments 
at  a  large  station,  where  there  is  much  gayety,  Will 
found  that  he  was  able  to  live  very  comfortably  on 
his  pay  in  the  same  style  as  that  of  his  comrades. 
They  on  their  part  were  pleased  to  find  in  Will  a 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  297 

young  fellow  of  the  same  age  as  the  other  junior 
lieutenants,  and  withal  a  pleasant,  gentlemanly 
young  man.  The  fact,  too,  that  he  had  seen  so 
much  service,  had  gone  through  stirring  adventures, 
and  had  fought  by  the  side  of  Cavagnari  in  the  Bala- 
Hissar,  made  him  quite  a  hero  among  them,  and 
"Will  was  soon  thoroughly  one  of  themselves.  When 
it  was  known  that  the  regiment  was  likely  to  re- 
main at  Candahar  for  some  time  many  luxuries  had 
been  brought  up  from  India,  together  with  means 
of  passing  away  the  time,  such  as  the  necessary  ap- 
pliances for  cricket,  racket,  and  other  games. 

Among  these  too  were  several  boxes  of  books, 
and  Will,  who  had  at  first  a  little  amused  his  com- 
rades by  his  absolute  ignorance  of  cricket,  but  who 
soon  became  a  promising  recruit  at  that  game, 
steadily  devoted  three  hours  a  day  to  reading  in 
order  to  improve  his  mind,  and  to  obtain  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  various  matters  which  were  topics  of 
conversation  among  his  comrades.  Above  all,  he 
diligently  studied  the  newspapers,  great  parcels  of 
which  arrived  every  week,  in  order  to  obtain  some 
knowledge  of  the  political  state  of  affairs  in  Eng- 
land, the  position  of  parties,  and  the  various  matters 
occupying  public  attention. 

He  had  at  first  found  his  ignorance  of  these  mat- 
ters a  great  drawback  to  him  in  general  conversa- 


298  FOB  NA ME  AND  FAME. 

tion ;  but  he  discovered  that  newspapers  rather 
than  books  are  useful  in  enabling  a  man  to  mix 
with  his  fellows  in  social  talk,  and  that  the  current 
events  of  the  day  form  ninety-nine-hundredths  of 
the  subjects  of  conversation.  The  fact  that  all  his 
messmates  had  been  thoroughly  posted  in  the  his- 
tory of  Rome  and  Greece,  that  they  could  read 
these  languages  almost  as  well  as  English,  that  they 
had  been  coached  in  high  mathematics,  and  had  a 
knowledge  of  French  and  German,  gave  them,  Will 
found,  very  little  advantage  in  general  conversa- 
tion ;  and  he  was  surprised  to  discover  how  entirely 
useless  from  a  practical  point  of  view  is  much  of 
the  instruction  which  must  be  mastered  by  young 
men  before  obtaining  a  commission. 

Many  times,  when  talking  with  the  young  officers 
with  whom  he  was  most  intimate,  he  inquired  of 
them  what  good  they  found  the  learning  they  had 
obtained  during  their  many  years  of  schooling,  and 
was  surprised  at  the  universal  reply,  "  No  good 
whatever !"  He  found,  however,  that  some  of  the 
more  thoughtful  of  them  admitted  that  they  had 
gained  increased  powers  of  thought  and  reasoning 
from  their  training. 

"That  is  the  good  of  education.  Gale,"  Captain 
Fletcher,  who  commanded  Will's  compan}'^,  said  to 
him  one  day.     "A  certain  time  must  be  spent  upon 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  299 

education,  and  the  course  of  study  is  intended  to 
strengthen  and  improve  the  mental  powers.  As  far 
as  soldiers  are  concerned,  it  would  certainly  be  of 
more  practical  use  if  the  time  we  spent  at  school  on 
Greek  and  mathematics  had  been  expended  in  ac- 
quiring three  or  four  European  and  Indian  lan- 
guages. But,  you  see,  boys  educated  at  the  same 
school  must  all  work  together  and  study  the  same 
books,  whatever  the  profession  for  which  they  are 
intended.  Our  practical,  that  is,  our  professional, 
education  only  begins  when  we  go  to  Woolwich  or 
Sandhurst.  Perhaps  some  day  a  different  system 
will  be  employed.  There  will  be  special  schools 
for  lads  intended  for  various  professions  and  careers. 
Till  that  is  done  we  must  all  work  upon  a  common 
basis,  which  has  at  least  the  advantage  of  forming 
the  mind  for  the  after-work  of  acquiring  the  special 
branches  of  knowledge  required  by  us  in  the  careers 
we  may  adopt.  If  you  ask  my  advice  I  should  not 
at  your  time  of  life  dream  of  setting  to  to  learn  the 
dead  languages  or  to  study  mathematics.  Kead  the 
histories  of  Rome  and  Greece,  and  study  that  of 
your  own  country.  Eead  books  of  travel  and  the 
biographies  of  great  men,  and  keep  yourself  well 
posted,  as  you  are  doing,  in  current  public  events. 
You  will  then  find  yourself  able  to  take  part  on 
equal  terms  in  any  conversation  which  may  be  going 


300  POR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

on.  You  will  indeed  be  considered  by  strangers  an 
exceptionally  well-informed  young  fellow,  and  you 
may  pass  through  life  without  any  person  having  a 
suspicion  that  Latin,  Greek,  and  mathematics,  the 
cardinal  points  of  an  ordinary  education,  are  wholly 
unknown  to  jou.'' 

Will  was  cheered  by  the  advice,  and  henceforth 
directed  his  studies  only  in  the  direction  which 
Captain  Fletcher  had  indicated.  At  the  beginning 
of  April  a  large  diminution  had  taken  place  in  the 
force  stationed  at  Candahar,  as  General  Sir  Donald 
Stewart  marched  with  the  greater  portion  of  the 
force  for  Cabul.  The  route  led  through  a  country 
which  was  the  stronghold  of  the  fanatical  party, 
the  important  town  of  Ghuzni  containing  the  most 
fanatical  population  in  all  Afghanistan.  This  had 
been  the  center  whence  the  attacks  on  General 
Roberts  had  been  organized,  and  it  was  deemed 
necessary  to  march  a  strong  force  through  the 
country  to  overawe  the  tribesmen  and  break  up 
their  organization. 

The  march  was  uneventful  as  far  as  Shahjui,  the 
limit  of  the  Candahar  province.  At  this  point  the 
Taraki  country  begins.  The  Mollahs  here  had  been 
actively  preaching  a  holy  war,  and  several  thousand 
men  were  reported  as  having  collected.  The  vil- 
lages were  found  to  be  deserteil,  and  everything 
betokened  an  active  opposition  to  the  advance. 


FOR  NAME!  AND  FAME.  jJOl 

When  the  head  of  the  column  arrived  at  Ahmed 
khel  a  body  of  the  enemy,  estimated  at  from  twelve 
thousand  to  fifteen  thousand,  were  seen  clustered 
on  a  semicircle  of  hills  beyond  the  village.  The 
baggage  of  the  column  stretched  far  along  the 
road,  and  it  was  all-important  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  falling  upon  this  long  line.  General  Stewart 
therefore  determined  to  attack  them. 

The  two  batteries  of  artillery  opened  fire  upon 
the  enemy,  who  at  once  in  reply  rushed  down  to  the 
assault.  The  charge  was  led  by  some  three  thou- 
sand or  four  thousand  Ghazis,  as  they  were  called, 
fanatics  who  had  sworn  to  give  their  lives  in  carry- 
ing out  their  object  of  exterminating  the  hated 
infidel.  Some  of  these  men  were  armed  with  rifles 
and  matchlocks,  some  with  heavy  swords,  knives, 
and  pistols;  others  again  with  pikes  made  of 
bayonets  or  pieces  of  sharpened  iron  fastened  upon 
long  sticks.  Some  were  on  foot  and  some  on 
horseback. 

With  wild  yells  the  mass  rushed  down  upon  our 
troops,  and  so  sudden  and  unexpected  w^as  the  at- 
tack, so  swiftly  did  they  cross  the  four  hundred  or 
live  hundred  yards  of  intervening  ground,  that  they 
(••line  upon  the  British  before  preparation  could  be 
liii'.le  for  their  reception.  At  the  moment  when 
L  .;  V   charged,  some  of  the  cavalry  were  moving 


302  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

across  in  front  of  the  infantry,  and  these,  before 
they  could  be  got  into  a  line  for  a  charge,  were 
surrounded  by  the  enemy.  In  an  instant  they  were 
lost  to  sight  in  the  cloud  of  dust  and  smoke.  It 
was  a  hand-to-hand  struggle,  and  in  the  confusion  a 
troop  charged  to  the  right  in  rear  of  the  main  line 
of  the  infantry  and  burst  into  the  midst  of  the 
'N'ineteenth  Punjaub  Infantrj'',  who  were  in  reserve 
in  rear  of  the  position  occupied  by  the  general  and 
his  staff.     In  a  moment  all  was  confusion. 

The  ammunition  mules  were  stampeded,  riderless 
horses  dashed  hither  and  thither,  and  close  behind 
the  cavalry  the  Ghazis  with  a  furious  rush  dashed 
in  among  the  broken  infantry.  Upon  the  left  flank, 
too,  the  Ghazis  swept  round  in  the  rear  of  our  in- 
fantry line,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole 
British  formation  was  broken  up,  in  which  case  the 
numbers  of  their  foes  must  have  prevailed.  Colonel 
Lister,  Y.C.,  however,  who  commanded  the  Third 
Goorkhas,  threw  his  men  rapidly  into  company 
squares,  and  poured  a  tremendous  fire  into  the 
fanatics. 

All  along  the  line  the  attack  raged,  and  so  hur- 
riedly had  the  battle  commenced  that  many  of  the 
men  had  not  even  fixed  bayonets.  Desperate  was 
the  hand-to-hand  fighting,  and  valor  more  conspicu- 
ous than  that  of  the  Ghazis  was  never  shown.   Furi- 


POR  NAME  AND  FAME.  ^03 

ously  they  threw  themselves  upon  the  line  of  their 
opponents,  clutching  their  muskets  and  trying  to 
wrench  them  from  their  hands,  while  they  strove  to 
cut  down  their  holders. 

Many  of  them  threw  themselves  upon  the  fixed 
bayonets  and  died  in  the  endeavor  to  cut  down  the 
soldiers  with  their  swords,  but  the  three  regiments 
which  formed  the  line — one  British  (the  Fifty- 
ninth),  one  Goorkhas,  and  one  Sikhs — alike  held 
their  own  and  poured  rolling  volleys  into  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy. 

Desperately  the  Ghazis  strove  to  capture  the 
guns,  which  were  firing  case  and  shrapnel  into 
them  at  a  distance  of  thirty  yards,  mowing  them 
down  in  hundreds.  Not  even  would  this  terrible 
slaughter  have  checked  them  had  not  the  Second 
Punjaub  Cavalry  most  gallantly  charged  them 
again  and  again.  The  general,  surrounded  by  his 
escort,  was  in  the  midst  of  the  fight,  the  enemy 
having  burst  in  between  the  guns  and  the  Fifty- 
ninth  Foot,  and  officers  and  troopers  had  alike  to 
fight  for  their  lives,  several  of  the  escort  being 
killed  and  wounded.  At  last,  however,  the  Ghazis 
fell  back  from  the  terrible  fire. 

The  First  Punjaub  Cavalry  coming  up  from  the 
rear  joined  the  Second  in  a  hot  pursuit ;  and  our 
native  allies,  the  Hazaras,  seeing  the  Afghans  in  re- 


304  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAMB. 

treat,  also  rushed  out  after  them,  and  the  rout  of 
the  enemy  was  complete.  The  fighting  had  lasted 
about  an  hour,  and  the  enemy  left  over  a  thousand 
dead  on  the  field,  besides  the  bodies  which  had  been 
carried  off.  Their  wounded,  of  course,  were  far 
more  numerous. 

Ghuzni  surrendered  without  opposition  when  the 
column  reached  it,  the  fighting  men  having  been 
engaged  in  the  battle  of  Ahmed-khel,  and  having 
had  enough  of  hostilities.  On  the  23d  of  April  a 
force  under  Brigadier-General  Palliser  advanced 
against  a  large  body  of  natives  who  had  assembled 
near  the  village  of  Ghalez,  again  led  by  the  Ghazis. 
These  rushed  to  the  attack  with  a  courage  and 
desperation  equal  to  that  shown  by  the  fanatics  in 
the  previous  battle.  Our  men,  however,  were  this 
time  prepared,  and  were  able  to  inflict  very  heavy 
losses  upon  the  enemy  without  allowing  them  to 
get  to  close  quarters. 

This  was  the  end  of  the  Afghan  resistance.  Gen- 
eral Stewart  moved  on  to  Cabul  without  further 
fighting,  and  effected  a  junction  there  with  the 
force  under  General  Koberts. 


FOB  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  305 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

ON    THE     HELMrND. 

"With  the  junction  of  the  forces  of  Generals 
Stewart  and  Roberts,  what  may  be  called  the  second 
period  of  the  Afghan  war  came  to  an  end.  All 
opposition  had  ceased,  and  it  appeared  probable 
that  there  would  be  no  more  fighting.  Abdul- 
Rahman,  a  prince  of  the  royal  house  who,  after  for 
some  time  fighting  against  Sheer  Ali,  had  been 
defeated  and  obliged  to  fly  the  country,  had  for  a 
long  time  been  a  resident  among  the  Russians. 

Upon  the  abdication  of  Yakoob  be  had  crossed 
the  frontier  and  had  entered  at  the  north  of  Afghan- 
istan, assuming  the  title  of  ameer.  He  had  been 
well  received  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  as  no 
other  competitor  for  the  throne  appeared  to  have 
chances  equal  to  his,  and  as  the  British  government 
were  most  anxious  to  withdraw  their  forces  from 
the  country,  his  authority  was  recognized  by  us. 
Negotiations  were  opened  with  him,  and  it  was 
arranged  that  as  he  approached  Cabul  the  British 
force  would  retire. 


306  t'OR  NAME  AND  FAMI^. 

The  summer  had  passed  not  unpleasantly  at  Can- 
dahar :  the  country  was  peaceful,  cricket-matches 
were  got  up  between  the  various  regiments,  and 
horse-races  established.  Candahar  was  governed 
by  Si, protege  of  the  British  named  Wall  Shere  All. 
He  had  organized  a  native  army  to  support  his 
authority  upon  our  withdrawal.  The  only  circum- 
stances which  occurred  to  mar  the  pleasing  time 
were  isolated  attacks  upon  British  officers  and  men 
by  Ghazis. 

These  attacks  were  sometimes  made  in  broad 
daylight  in  the  streets  of  Candahar,  where  the 
escape  of  those  who  prepetrated  them  was  impossi- 
ble ;  these  fanatics  regarding  their  own  life  with 
indifference,  so  that  they  could  but  kill  one  or  more 
of  the  British  before  being  cut  down. 

One  day  as  "William  Gale  was  walking  in  the 
principal  street  of  Candahar  at  a  short  distance 
behind  Colonel  E-ipon,  an  Indian  official  of  very 
long  standing' and  experience  who  had  come  up  on 
a  special  mission  to  arrange  with  the  wali  the  de- 
tails of  the  civil  government  of  the  province,  he  saw 
three  Afghans  who  were  loitering  in  the  road  draw 
their  long  tulwars  and  dash  upon  that  officer.  The 
first  who  reached  him  delivered  a  sweeping  blow, 
which  the  colonel,  taken  by  surprise,  partl}'^  received 
on  his  uplifted  arm,  but  was  struck   to  the  ground. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  30? 

Another  of  the  Ghazis  raised  his  ssvord  ;  but  before 
it  could  fall  Will  Gale,  who  saw  at  once  that  he 
was  too  far  behind  to  interpose  between  the  assail 
ant  and  the  victim,  drew  his  revolver  from  his  belt, 
and,  taking  a  hasty  aim,  fired.  The  shot  was  an 
accurate  one,  the  bullet  striking  the  Afghan  on  the 
forehead  just  as  he  was  about  to  strike.  He  fell 
forward  on  the  colonel,  receiving  as  he  did  so  a 
tremendous  blow  which  the  third  Ghazi  was  aiming 
at  the  prostrate  man. 

Before  the  blow  could  be  repeated  Will  had 
bounded  forward  and,  sword  in  one  hand  and 
revolver  in  the  other,  faced  the  two  Afghans.  An- 
other shot  freed  him  of  one  of  his  assailants  just  as 
the  other,  rushing  recklessly  forward,  aimed  a  blow 
at  him  which  he  was  not  quick  enough  to  parry. 
His  right  arm  fell  to  his  side;  but  in  an  instant  he 
threw  himself  upon  his  foe,  and  the  two  fell  heavily 
to  the  ground,  the  Afghan  striving  desperately  to 
shorten  his  sword  so  as  to  use  the  point,  while  Will 
strove  to  liberate  his  left  arm,  which  was  under  the 
man,  and  so  use  his  revolver,  which  he  still  grasped. 

At  this  moment  some  soldiers  of  the  Sixty-sixth 
ran  up,  and  one  of  them  with  his  bayonet,  which 
since  these  attacks  began  were  always  carried  at 
the  belt,  brought  the  conflict  to  a  conclusion  by 
running  it  through  and  through  the  Ghazi's  body. 


308  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"Will  soon  rose  to  his  feet.  Colonel  Ripon  had 
alread}'  freed  himself  from  the  body  of  the  dead 
Ghazi  and  had  struggled  to  his  feet,  the  blood 
streaming  from  his  head  and  arm. 

"I  have  to  thank  you  for  my  life,  sir,"  he  said 
warmly.  "  Had  your  aid  come  but  two  seconds  less 
promptly  they  would  have  jfinished  me.  But  I  fear 
you  are  severely  wounded." 

"  Oh,  no !"  Will  answered ;  "  it  is  only  a  flesh 
wound  from  my  _shoulder  to  my  elbow.  Luckily 
my  sword  partly  caught  the  blow.  I  was  aiming 
at  the  other  fellow,  and  had  not  time  to  parry 
fairly.  I  shall  be  none  the  worse  for  it  in  a 
week's  time.  My  wound  is  less  severe  than  yours, 
sir." 

"  We  are  both  bleeding  pretty  freely,"  the  colonel 
said.  "  My  quarters  are  close  at  hand,  and  as  the 
principal  medical  officer  lives  in  the  same  house,  you 
cannot  do  better  than  come  in  with  me." 

In  a  few  minutes  their  wounds  were  bandaged, 
the  doctor  saying  that  no  serious  harm  had  been 
done  in  either  case,  but  that  care  and  quiet  lest 
fever  should  supervene  would  be  necessary  for  a 
week  or  two.  As  the  house  was  much  more  airy 
and  commodious  than  that  in  which  Will  was  quar- 
tered, the  colonel  begged  him  so  strongly  to  move 
his  quarters   thither  until  able  to  return  to  duty 


FOR  NAME  AND  BAME.  309 

that  Will  agreed  to  do  so,  and  was  soon  installed, 
with  Yossouf  in  attendance,  in  the  colonel's  quar- 
ters. 

He  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  old  oificer, 
whose  manner  was  most  kind  and  courteous,  and 
who  from  his  long  experience  in  India  was  full  of 
anecdotes  and  information  concerning  the  country. 
Ten  days  after  the  struggle  the  doctor  told  them 
that  there  was  no  longer  any  occasion  for  his 
services. 

Their  wounds  were  healing  favorably  and  all  fear 
of  fever  had  passed.  At  the  same  time  it  would 
still  be  some  time  before  either  could  take  their 
arms  from  slings.  The  following  day,  in  honor  of 
his  convalescence.  Colonel  Ripon  invited  several 
friends  to  dinner,  among  them  General  Burrows 
and  Colonel  Galbraith,  of  the  Sixty-sixth.  All  had 
of  course  heard  the  details  of  the  attack  on  Colonel 
Ripon,  and  Will  was  congratulated  warmly  upon 
the  promptness  that  he  had  showed. 

"  Do  you  know,  colonel,"  General  Burrows  said 
as  they  were  smoking  their  cigars  after  dinner, 
"there  is  a  wonderful  likeness  between  you  and 
Lieutenant  Gale.  I  should  have  taken  you  for 
father  and  son  anywhere." 

The  other  officers  agreed  with  the  remark.  The 
likeness  was  certainly  strong.     Both  were  men  of 


310  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

six  feet  in  height.  The  colonel-s  hair  and  mus- 
tache were  grizzled,  and  his  face  bronzed  with  the 
sun  of  many  Indian  summers  ;  he  was  thin  and  spare 
of  habit,  but  his  shoulders  were  broad,  and  it  was 
evident  that  in  his  youth  he  must  have  possessed 
much  of  the  muscular  strength  which  was  apparent 
in  Will's  more  rounded  limbs.  But  it  was  in  their 
eyes  that  there  was  the  greatest  similarity.  Both 
were  gray  and  of  nearly  the  same  shade  ;  both  had 
a  simple,  straightforward,  and  kindly  expression; 
both  were  shaded  by  straight  and  rather  heavy  eye- 
brows.    The  men  looked  at  each  other. 

"  I  suppose  he  is  like  me,"  Colonel  Eipon  said ; 
"  still  more  like,  I  fancy,  what  I  remember  myself 
at  his  age ;  but  curiously  enough  he  has  ever  since 
I  met  him  been  recalling  some  one  else  to  my  mind  ;" 
and  a  shade  passed  over  his  face. 

Seeing  that  Colonel  Eipon  was  not  disposed  to 
talk  further  on  the  subject,  a  fresh  topic  of  conver- 
sation was  started.  There  was  news  that  Ayoub 
Khan,  the  brother  of  Yakoob,  who  was  governor  at 
Herat,  was  marching  south  at  the  head  of  a  large 
force  with  the  intention  of  opposing  Abdul-Rahman 
and  again  reseating  Yakoob  on  the  throne.  He  had 
also  preached  a  holy  war  against  the  British. 

"  I  fear  that  the  trouble  is  serious,"  General  Bur- 
rows said.     "  The  troops  Ayoub  is  bringing  with 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  311 

him  have  not  yet  met  us  in  the  JBeld.  The  popula- 
tion on  the  road  is  wild  and  fanatical  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  will  no  doubt  join  him  to  a  man.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  troops  of  the  wall  are  not  tc 
be  depended  upon,  and  the  brunt  of  the  fighting  is 
sure  to  fall  upon  us." 

Three  days  later  the  order  was  issued  by  General 
Primrose  that  the  Sixty-sixth  Eegiment,  the  Bom- 
bay Grenadiers,  and  Jacob's  Rifles,  together  with 
the  Third  Scinde  Horse  and  Third  Bombay  Cavalry 
with  a  batter}'  of  artillery,  were  to  move  out  with 
the  wall's  army  toward  Girishk,  on  the  river  Hel- 
mund,  which  formed  the  boundary  between  the 
province  of  Candahar  and  that  of  Herat. 

After  the  long  period  of  inactivity  at  Candahar, 
Will  was  delighted  at  the  thought  of  taking  part  in 
an  expedition  with  his  regiment ;  but  when  they 
reached  the  Helmund,  life  was  for  some  time  ex- 
ceedingly monotonous.  The  news  of  Ayoub's  ad- 
vance greatly  excited  the  population,  who  had  been 
further  worked  up  by  agents  widely  distributed 
through  the  country,  and  by  the  exhortations  of 
the  MoUahs  and  Ghazis  ;  consequently  rambling  at 
any  distance  from  the  camp  was  forbidden,  and  the 
shooting  parties,  which  had  been  one  of  the  great 
resources  of  their  life  at  Candahar,  were  peremp- 
torily put  an  end  to. 


312  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Colonel  Ripon  had  accompanied  the  force  as  the 
wall's  adviser.  Both  he  and  Will  had  recovered 
completely  from  their  wounds.  When  the  regiment 
first  marched,  indeed,  the  surgeon  had  strongly- 
recommended  Will  to  remain  behind  until  his  wound 
had  completely  healed,  but  the  young  officer  had  so 
strongly  begged  to  be  allowed  to  accompany  the 
regiment  that  the  surgeon  had  consented. 

His  colonel  had  for  a  time  relieved  him  from  all 
duty  and  he  rode  in  rear  of  the  regiment,  but  with- 
in a  fortnight  of  their  arrival  at  the  Helmund  he 
was  able  to  lay  aside  his  sling  and  to  take  his  turn 
of  regular  duty.  The  officers  did  all  that  they 
could  to  make  existence  tolerable  on  the  sandy 
shores  of  the  Helmund;  they  got  up  foot-races  and 
athletic  sports  for  the  men,  played  cricket  on  the 
sands,  and  indulged  in  a  bath  twice  a  day  in  the 
river. 

Will  often  spent  the  evening  in  Colonel  Ripon's 
tent.  A  warm  friendship  had  arisen  between  the 
two  officers,  arid  each  day  seemed  to  bring  them 
closer  together.  All  this  time  Ayoub's  army  was 
known  to  be  approaching.  It  had  been  delayed  by 
want  of  transport  and  by  the  difficult  nature  of  the 
country  over  which  it  had  to  pass.  The  guns,  too, 
of  which  it  was  reported  to  have  a  large  number, 
had  greatly  hampered  it ;  but  by  the  second  week 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  313 

in  July  it  was  near  at  hand.  For  some  time  the 
wall's  troops  had  been  showing  signs  of  insubor- 
dination, and  little  doubt  was  entertained  that  they 
had  been  tampered  with  by  Ayoub's  emissaries. 

The  question  of  disarming  them  was  several 
times  discussed,  but  the  wall  maintained  his  faith 
that  they  would  remain  true  to  their  salt;  and  the 
British  force  was  so  small  that  it  was  deemed 
imprudent  to  take  any  step  to  diminish  their 
strength  by  dispensing  with  the  services  of  a  strong 
body  of  men  who  might  after  all  be  faithful  at 
the  critical  moment.  Moreover,  it  was  doubtful 
whether  they  would  submit  to  be  disarmed  by  a 
force  so  inferior  to  their  own.  Should  the  attempt 
to  disarm  them  succeed,  they  must  either  be  escorted 
back  to  Candahar  by  a  strong  detachment  of  the 
British  or  be  permitted  to  disperse,  in  which  case 
they  would  assuredly  swell  the  advancing  army  of 
Ayoub. 

One  day  Will  arranged  to  start  the  next  morning 
at  daybreak  for  a  day's  shooting  with  four  other 
young  officers — Hammond  and  Fortescue,  of  Jacob's 
Rifles,  and  Plater  and  Lowther,  of  the  Grenadiers. 
The  country  round  the  camp  had  been  already  shot 
over,  so  they  were  to  go  some  miles  out.  Will's 
colonel,  in  giving  him  leave  off  parade  for  the  day, 
had  asked  him  to  endeavor  to  ascertain  at  any  vil- 


314  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

lage  he  might  enter  the  state  of  the  feeling  of  the 
natives  respecting  Ayoub,  and  their  disposition  to- 
ward the  British,.43oints  on  which  a  deplorable 
ignorance  existed  in  the  camp. 

The  party  started  before  daybreak,  putting  their 
wiry  little  tats,  or  native  ponies,  into  a  gallop  so  as 
to  reach  the  spot,  eight  miles  distant,  where  they 
were  to  begin  to  shoot,  as  early  as  possible,  so  as  to 
get  two  or  three  hours'  sport  before  the  heat  of  the 
day  really  set  in.  After  an  hour's  ride  they  over- 
took their  servants,  who  had  gone  on  ahead  with 
the  guns  and  luncheon.  The  sun  was  but  just 
above  the  horizon  and  the  morning  air  was  cool 
and  pleasant. 

Dismounting,  they  handed  over  the  ponies  to  the 
servants,  and  taking  the  guns  and  ammunition  set 
out  on  foot.  The  servants  were  to  go  on  with  the 
ponies  and  lunch  to  a  village  in  the  hills  four  miles 
distant,  and  to  get  tiffin  ready  by  eleven  o'clock. 

The  young  officers  set  out  on  foot,  keeping  a 
short  distance  apart.  Two  of  their  servants  accom- 
panied them  to  carry  the  game  ;  the  other  three 
went  with  the  two  syces  who  looked  after  the 
ponies.  The  ground  was  broken  and  stony,  and 
altogether  uncultivated  except  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  villages.  They  had  better  sport  than  they 
expected,  for  hares  darted  out  in  numbers  from  be- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  315 

hind  the  rocks.  Some  of  these  were  bowled  over, 
while  others  escaped,  and  there  was  much  banter- 
ing and  laughter  among  the  young  men,  none  of 
whom  were  first-class  shots. 

As  the  sun  rose  higher  the  game  became  more 
scarce,  and  by  ten  o'clock  the  party  turned  their 
faces  toward  the  village  where  they  were  to  lunch, 
and  which  lay,  they  calculated,  a  mile  or  two  away 
on  their  right.  The  sun  was  now  blazing  down 
upon  them,  and  th'ey  were  glad  indeed  when  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  village,  which  was  not  per- 
ceived until  they  were  close  to  it,  as  it  lay  in  a  deep 
and  rocky  valley. 

Yossouf  met  them  as  they  entered  the  village. 

"  Well,  Yossouf,  where  have  you  laid  the  tiffin?" 

"  I  have  spread  it,  sahib,  on  a  level  piece  of  ground 
in  the  shade  of  the  chief's  house.  He  did  not  seem 
disposed  to  be  civil,  and  indeed  I  thought  that  it 
would  be  more  pleasant  out  of  doors  in  the  shade 
than  inside." 

"  Much  more  pleasant,  Yossouf  ;  and  these  forts, 
as  they  call  them,  are  generally  stuffy  places  with 
small  windows.  What  is  the  feeling  of  the  people 
here  ?" 

"  They  are  looking  forward  to  Ayoub's  coming, 
sir,  when  they  say  a  holy  war  will  be  preached  and 
every  man  will  rise  against  the   infidels.     When 


316  t'OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

they  found  I  was  a  countryman  they  talked  freel}'' 
enough  before  me,  especially  as  I  led  them  to  be- 
lieve that  I  had  been  taken  prisoner  at  Cabul  and 
forced  to  accompany  you  as  a  sort  of  slave.  I 
should  recommend  that  as  soon  as  tiffin  is  over  you 
should  start  for  the  camp,  for  I  don't  think  it  is 
quite  safe  here." 

"  They  would  never  think  of  attacking  us,  Yos- 
souf,  with  our  force  within  an  easy  day's  march." 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  Yossouf  said  doubtfully. 
"  They  say  that  the  wall's  men  are  all  with  them, 
and  that  these  alone  are  quite  sufficient  to  eat  up 
the  three  British  regiments." 

"  They  will  find  out  their  mistake  if  they  try  it. 
However,  Yossouf,  I  will  let  the  others  know  what 
you  think." 

By  this  time  they  had  arrived  at  the  spot  where 
the  lunch  was  laid  out,  and  very  tempting  it  looked 
to  hungry  men. 

A  great  dish  of  curry  made  with  some  fowls  pur- 
chased in  the  village  was  the  principal  dish ;  but 
there  were  some  fish  which  Yossouf  had  caught  in 
the  Ilelmund  on  the  previous  day,  a  roast  of  young 
kid,  and  several  dishes  of  fresh  fruit.  A  large  ves- 
sel of  porous  clay  containing  the  drinking-water 
stood  close  by,  an(f  the  necks  of  some  bottles  *of 
claret  peeped  out  from  a  tub  full  of  water,  while  a, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAMSI.  31 7 

pitcher  of  cold  tea  was  ready  for  those  who  pre- 
ferred it  The  young  men  set  to  with  a  vigorous 
appetite,  and  when  the  meal  was  over  pipes  and 
cigars  were  lighted,  and  they  prepared  to  enjoy  a 
rest  until  the  heat  of  the  day  was  past.  Will  now 
told  them  what  Yossouf  had  said. 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  Gale  !"  Hammond  said.  "  Your 
boy  is  an  Afghan,  and  these  fellows  are  always 
dreaming  about  treachery.  They  are  scowling, 
sulky-looking  brutes,"  he  said,  looking  at  a  group 
of  natives  who  stood  watching  them  with  lowering 
eyes,  "  and  of  course  they  hate  us  as  infidel  dogs  ; 
but  as  to  attacking  us,  it's  all  nonsense." 

"  Well,  you  know,  Hammond,  these  Ghazis  do 
attack  us  in  all  sorts  of  places,  as  I  have  found  to 
my  cost,  and  these  villages  abound  with  these 
fanatics." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  Fortescue  said  lazily,  "  of  course  they 
do ;  but  we  have  got  our  revolvers  handy,  and  our 
guns  are  within  reach  of  our  hands.  We  should 
make  precious  short  work  of  any  Ghazis  who  were 
to  run  amuck  among  us.  Well,  I  for  one  don't 
mean  to  move  till  it  gets  a  bit  cooler.  If  these  fel- 
lows want  to  attack  us  they  have  got  the  chance 
now,  and  there  is  no  more  reason  they  should  do  it 
three  hours  hence  than  when  we  are  having  our 
breakfast  quietly." 


318  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE   BATTLE    OF   MAIWAND. 

The  servants  were  squatting  in  a  circle  near  their 
masters  and  enjoying  their  share  of  the  breakfast. 
The  two  syces  were  Beloochees,  the  others  were 
men  from  the  Deccan,  the  regiment  having  been 
stationed  at  Poona  before  going  up  into  Afghanis- 
tan. Of  these  the  syces  alone  understood  the 
Afghan  language. 

After  the  men  had  finished  their  meal  Tossouf 
strolled  away  by  himself  into  the  village.  When 
he  returned  Will  saw  that  he  wished  to  speak  to 
him,  so  rising  carelessly  from  the  ground  he  walked 
to  the  ponies,  which  were  tied  up  near,  and  called 
Yossouf  as  if  to  give  him  some  instructions  respect- 
ing them. 

"  Well,  Yossouf,  what  is  it  ?  Have  you  learned 
anything?" 

"No,  sir,  nothing.  But  the  people  no  longer 
speak  to  me  freely.  They  must  have  guessed  when 
they  saw  me  speaking  to  you  that  I  was  warning 
you  ;  but  I  don't  think  things  are  right.     The  chil- 


FOR  NAME  AND  ^AME.  5)1^ 

dren  are  all  in  the  houses  instead  of  playing  about 
in  tlie  street.  A  few  of  the  women  are  standing  at 
their  doors,  but  most  of  them  are  inside  too." 

"  But  if  the  men  are  thinking  of  attacking  us 
why  shouldn't  they  do  so  at  once  ?" 

"  There  are  not  above  twenty  or  thirty  men 
here,  sahib.  They  may  not  think  they  are  strong 
enough.  Perhaps  they  have  sent  to  some  of  the 
villages  for  help." 

"  Likely  enough,  Yossouf,  I  did  not  think  of  that. 
Do  you  go  up  above  the  village  and  have  a  good 
look  round.  I  will  try  and  persuade  my  friends  to 
be  moving." 

Yossouf  moved  off  at  once,  and  Will  stood  for  a 
minute  or  two  thinking  what  was  the  best  to  do. 
The  position  was  not  pleasant.  Yossouf's  suspicions 
might  be  altogether  unfounded,  but  "Will  had 
found  him  to  be  so  uniformly  right  on  former 
occasions  that  he  did  not  like  to  neglect  his  advice 
now.  After  a  little  further  thought  he  joined  his 
companions. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  we  had  really  better  be  mov- 
ing.    I  believe  we  are  in  real  danger." 

The  earnestness  with  Avhich  he  spoke  roused 
the  others,  who  were  all  lying  at  full  length  on  the 
ground. 

"  But  as  we  said  before,  Gale,"  Fortescue  urged. 


B20  FOR  NAME  AND  PAMW. 

"  why  shouldn't  they  now  attack  us  if  they  wanted 
to  ?    We  have  been  here  more  than  an  hour." 

"  Perhaps  they  may  think  we  shall  all  take  a  nap 
after  our  tiffin,"  Will  replied  ;  "  perhaps,  as  Yossouf 
thinks,  they  have  sent  off  to  some  other  villages  for 
assistance.  He  has  gone  up  the  hillside  to  look  out. 
Anyhow,  I  can  assure  you,  I  think  we  had  better 
be  moving." 

"It  is  beastly  hot,"  Hammond  said,  getting  up 
and  stretching  himself ;  "  but  as  you  are  so  earnest 
about  it.  Gale,  perhaps  we  had  better  make  a  move. 
As  you  say  you  know  no  end  more  of  these  fellows 
than  we  do,  and  you  certainly  ain't  a  fellow  to  get 
into  a  funk  about  nothing.  Come  on,  boys,  we  had 
better  do  as  Gale  tells  us." 

"  That's  right,"  Will  said  cheerfully.  ' '  And  look 
here,  if  we  get  away  from  here  without  any  dis- 
turbance and  find  it  all  right,  we  can  halt  again  at 
the  first  shady  place  we  come  to,  and  stop  there  for 
two  or  three  hours  till  it  gets  cool. 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  he  went  on  as  Hammond  was 
about  to  order  the  ponies  to  be  saddled.  ''  Just  let 
us  settle  what  we  had  best  do  should  they  attack 
us,  which,  if  they  mean  it,  they  will  do  when  they 
see  we  are  moving  off.  I  have  been  thinking  it 
over.  We  have  all  got  bullets  in  our  pockets  to 
drop  into  our  guns  over  the  shot  in  case  of  neces- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  321 

sity.  But  these  smooth-bore  fowling-pieces  are  of 
no  good  except  at  close  quarters,  while  the  Afghan 
matchlocks  will  carry  straight  a  long  way ;  there- 
fore if  we  had  to  make  a  running  fight  of  it  we 
should  get  the  worst  of  it,  for  these  fellows  could 
keep  up  with  us  easily  ;  besides,  there  are  the  serv- 
ants ;  therefore  if  a  shot  is  fired,  my  advice  is  that 
we  should  make  a  dash  at  the  chiefs  house.  Seize 
that,  and  hold  it." 

"  Yes,  that  would  be  a  good  plan,"  Fortescue  said, 
for  they  were  all  sobered  now  by  Will's  gravity, 
and  convinced  that  there  must  be  good  grounds  for 
his  belief  in  danger. 

"  Look  here.  Gale,  we  are  all  senior  to  you  in  the 
date  of  our  commissions,  but  you  have  seen  no  end 
of  service  and  adventure,  therefore  I  vote  that  you 
shall  be  commanding  officer  until  we  get  back  to 
camp." 

The  others  willingly  agreed. 

"  Very  well,"  Will  said ;  "  I  will  do  my  best. 
Hammond,  will  you  tell  your  servant  to  get  ready 
for  a  start  at  once?  Speak  to  him  quietly  and  care- 
lessly. Then,  as  the  men  move  up  more  toward  the 
ponies,  tell  them  in  Hindustanee  to  go  about  their 
work  quietly,  but  in  case  of  any  trouble  with  the 
Afghans  to  out  with  their  swords  and  join  us  in  a 
rush  at  the  chiefs  house." 


322  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Hammond  carried  out  his  instructions.  The  two 
Beloochees  were  not  taken  by  surprise,  for  they  as 
well  as  Yossouf  had  been  feeling  uneasy  at  the  dis- 
appearance of  all  women  and  children  from  the 
scene.  The  other  men  looked  startled,  but  they 
were  stout  fellows,  and  as  all  the  native  servants 
were  armed  with  swords  to  enable  them  to  resist 
sudden  attacks  by  the  country  people,  and  as  they 
had  unbounded  faith  in  their  masters,  they  went 
about  the  work  of  packing  up  the  plates  and  dishes 
and  preparing  for  a  start  quietly  enough. 

As  the  syces  began  to  put  the  saddles  on  the  tats 
the  Afghans  spoke  quickly  and  angrily  together. 
Two  or  three  minutes  later  Yossouf  arrived.  He 
bad  evidently  been  running,  for  his  breath  came 
quick,  but  he  now  walked  forward  in  a  leisurely 
way. 

''  Two  large  parties  are  coming,  master,  one 
down  the  valley  and  the  other  across  the  hills. 
Thev  have  got  flags  with  them,  and  I  am  sure  they 
are  going  to  attack  us." 

Just  at  this  moment  an  Afghan  lad  joined  his 
seniors  and  spoke  rapidly  to  them.  Will  judged  at 
once  that  he  also  had  been  placed  on  the  watch. 
The  chief  of  the  village,  accompanied  by  two  or 
three  of  his  men,  now  stepped  forward. 

"  Ask  the  sahibs."  he  said  to  Yossouf.  "  why  they 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  3^3 

are  in  such  a  hurry,  why  they  want  to  start  in  the 
heat  of  the  day ;  they  had  better  wait  till  it  is 
cooler." 

"Will  did  not  wait  for  Yossouf's  translation,  but 
answered  direct : 

"  We  have  duties  at  the  camp  and  must  return  at 
once." 

The  chief  was  surprised  that  one  of  the  young 
officers  should  speak  his  tongue  so  fluently. 

"  It  looks  as  if  you  were  not  pleased  with  the 
hospitality  of  our  village,"  he  said,  "  that  you  should 
hurry  away  so  quickly." 

"  "We  are  content  with  it  so  far,  but  we  must  be 
off  now.  Bring  up  the  ponies  quickly,"  he  said  to 
Yossouf.  "  Never  mind  those  things,  there  is  not  a 
moment  to  be  lost." 

Yossouf  and  the  servants  brought  up  the  ponies. 
The  chief  laid  his  hand  on  one  of  the  bridles  and 
drew  a  pistol. 

"  Kaffir  dogs,"  he  said,  "  you  shall  not  leave  us  at 
all." 

"Will's  hand  was  already  on  his  revolver,  and  be- 
fore the  chief  could  level  his  pistol  he  fired  and  the 
Afghan  fell  dead. 

There  was  a  shout  of  rage  from  the  others,  and 
their  long  matchlocks  were  leveled.  It  was  well 
the  party  were  prepared,  or  all  might  have  been 


924  t'OR  NAME  AND  PAMW. 

shot  down  at  once ;  but  the  instant  Will  fired,  his 
friends  raised  their  double-barreled  guns  to  their 
shoulders  and  let  fly  the  contents  among  the 
Afghans,  who,  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  sudden 
and  unexpected  attack,  fired  wildly,  several  of  them 
dropping  from  the  effects  of  the  shot. 

"  Now,"  Will  shouted,  "  to  the  house  every  one  of 
you !" 

There  was  a  rush,  and  before  the  Afghans  knew 
what  had  happened  the  little  party  had  burst 
through  those  standing  at  the  door  of  the  house, 
and  had  barred  and  bolted  it  within.  There  were 
but  two  men  inside,  and  these  running  upstairs 
leaped  from  the  windows.  A  wild  screaming  was 
heard  from  the  women  and  children. 

"  Yossouf,  tell  these  women  that  we  don't  want 
to  hurt  them,  but  that  they  must  be  silent  and 
keep  the  children  quiet.  We  have  got  enough  to 
think  about  without  this  frightful  row  inside. 
Then  when  you  have  got  thera  quiet  put  them  all 
in  one  room  together  upstairs,  and  keep  guard  at 
the  door.  See  that  none  of  thera  leave  the  room, 
for  they  might  steal  down  and  open  the  door  to 
admit  their  friends  while  we  are  busy.  What! 
Fortescue,  are  you  hit  ?" 

"  I  am  done  for !"  the  3'oung  officer  replied  faint- 
ly; "one  of  their   bullets   has   gone   through   my 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  325 

body  ;  but  never  mind  me  now."  As  he  spoke  he 
tottered  and  would  have  fallen  had  not  the  others 
supported  him  and  gently  laid  him  down  on  a  heap 
of  skins  which  served  as  an  Afghan  bed.  Then 
leaving  his  servant  to  attend  to  him  for  a  minute, 
the  others  ran  upstairs  to  see  what  was  going  on 
without. 

"  Be  careful !"  Will  exclaimed  ;  "  don't  show  a 
head  above  the  roof  or  at  a  loop-hole  or  you  will 
get  a  bullet  in  your  brain  to  a  certainty.  Stand 
well  back  so  that  they  can't  see  you." 

Already  a  pattering  fire  of  musketry  had  broken 
out  round  the  house,  but  not  an  Afghan  was  to 
be  seen,  every  man  having  taken  his  position  in 
shelter. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  do  at  present,"  Will  said. 
"  When  the  other  parties  arrive  they  may  make  an 
attack,  but  I  don't  think  they  will  do  so  till  night. 
Hammond,  you  had  better  go  down  to  Fortescue  at 
present.  One  of  the  syces  can  take  Yossouf's  place 
on  guard  over  the  women,  and  he  can  help  you. 
The  lad  is  a  good  nurse ;  but  I  fear  there  is  nothing 
to  be  done  for  the  poor  fellow." 

A  few  minutes  later  a  wild  outburst  of  shouts  and 
yells,  and  a  great  firing  of  guns,  announced  that  the 
other  parties  had  arrived,  and  the  cracking  fire  of 
the  matchlocks  around  the  fort  became  incessant, 


33t>  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

The  defenders  did  not  attempt  to  return  it;  it 
would  only  have  been  throwing  away  lives  uselessly 
to  approach  any  of  the  loop-holes.  In  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  Hammond  rejoined  his  companions. 

"He  is  gone,  poor  fellow  !"  he  said;  "he  never 
spoke  again.  The  bullet  went  close  to  the  heart.  I 
think  he  has  bled  to  death  internally.  I  have 
handed  his  revolver  to  one  of  the  syces,  and  his 
gun  to  the  other.  Your  man  Yossouf  has  a  re- 
volver." 

"  What  on  earth  are  we  to  do  now,  Gale  ?"  Plater 
asked.  "  You  have  been  right  thus  far,  and  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  you  putting  us  up  to  make  a  rush 
here  we  should  have  been  done  for  long  ago ;  but 
we  are  not  much  better  off ;  for  here  we  are  cooped 
up,  and  the  betting  is  a  hundred  to  one  against  our 
being  rescued  in  time.  No  one  will  know  where  to 
look  for  us,  and  though  we  may  beat  them  off  two 
or  three  times,  in  the  end  it  is  likely  to  go  hard  with 
us." 

"  Couldn't  we  send  a  messenger  with  the  news  of 
the  fix  we  are  in  ?"  Lowther  asked  ;  "  though  T 
don't  see  how  any  one  is  to  get  through." 

"  That's  what  I  have  been  thinking  about  evei 
since  I  first  planned  coming  here,"  Will  said  ;  "  but 
I  am  sure  no  one  could  get  through.  The  Afghans 
know  the  importance  of  it,  and  when  it  gets  dark 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  327 

they  will  be  so  thick  round  the  place  that  a  mouse 
couldn't  make  its  way  through  them  unobserved." 

The  situation  was  gloomy  enough ;  but  there  was 
no  lack  of  good  spirits  among  the  young  oflScers, 
the  danger  causing  their  blood  to  course  rapidly 
through  their  veins. 

Will  sat  on  the  floor  apart  from  the  others. 
They  had  made  him  their  commanding  officer,  and 
the  responsibility  of  thinking  for  them  devolved 
upon  his  shoulders.  Suddenly  a  thought  struck 
him,  and  he  leaped  to  his  feet  with  a  shout.  "  I've 
got  it !" 

"  You  will  get  it  if  you  don't  mind,"  Hammond 
said  dryly  as  a  bullet  passed  through  one  of  the 
loop-holes  and  struck  the  wall  an  inch  ortwo  from 
Will's  head.     "  But  what  is  it  ?" 

"  When  it  gets  quite  dusk  we  will  call  a  parley 
and  tell  them  we  don't  want  to  keep  the  women 
here ;  the}'  are  only  in  our  wayand  eat  up  the  food, 
so  we  will  open  the  door  and  let  them  go." 

"  But  what  will  you  do  that  for.  Gale  ?  You  were 
saying  a  short  time  ago  that  the  women  could  be 
kept  as  hostages." 

"  So  they  might,  Hammond  ;  but  it  will  be  more 
useful  to  us  to  let  them  go.  There  arc  seven  women 
here.  Six  of  them  shall  go  out,  and  with  them,  in 
the  clothes  of  the  seventh,  Yossouf ," 


328  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

"  Capital !  capital !"  the  others  exclaimed.  "Don't 
you  think  they  will  notice  him  ?" 

"N"o,"  Will  said  ;  "  we  won't  do  it  till  dusk,  and 
some  of  these  women  are  as  tall  as  he  is.  They 
will  hurry  them  away  as  quickly  as  possible  so  as 
to  recommence  the  attack,  and  wrapped  up  as  these 
Afghan  women  are  no  one  could  see  the  difference. 
Once  fairly  away  we  can  trust  Yossouf  for  finding 
an  opportunity  of  slipping  away  and  bringing  us 
help." 

Will  now  laid  the  plan  before  Yossouf,  who  at 
once  agreed  to  attempt  it. 

The  day  passed  slowly,  the  fire  of  the  enemy 
being  kept  up  without  intermission. 

"  Now,"  Will  said  at  last,  "  it  is  getting  dark 
enough,  let  us  put  the  plan  into  operation.  In  the 
first  place  the  women  must  be  separated,  and  taken 
into  separate  rooms,  the  one  Yossouf  has  fixed  upon 
as  nearest  his  height  into  a  room  by  herself.  Then 
Yossouf  must  tell  the  old  mother  of  the  chief  that 
they  are  to  be  released,  and  that  she  must  show  her- 
self on  the  roof  and  make  them  stop  firing  till  they 
have  gone  out.  While  she  is  doing  that  he  can  slip 
down  and  dress  himself  in  the  robes  of  the  woman. 
She  must  be  gagged  to  prevent  her  screaming  or 
making  a  row  as  her  companions  go  out." 

Greatly  surprised  was  the  old  woman  at  being 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  329 

told  tfiat  she  was  to  be  released.  These  Kaffirs  must 
be  mad,  she  thought,  to  give  up  their  hostages. 
However,  she  at  once  proceeded  to  carry  the  orders 
into  effect. 

Before  raising  her  head  above  the  roof  she  uttered 
a  loud  quavering  cry,  the  cry  of  welcome  of  the 
Afghan  women.  The  firing  without  instantly 
ceased.  Again  raising  the  cry,  she  stepped  out  on 
to  the  roof  and  shouted  that  the  English  did  not 
want  to  keep  the  women,  and  that  the  door  would 
be  open  for  them  to  come  out,  providing  the 
Afghans  promised  that  no  attempt  to  enter  should 
be  made,  and  that  none  should  move  from  their 
present  places  until  the  women  had  fairly  left. 

There  was  a  shout  of  surprise  and  satisfaction, 
and  one  of  the  chiefs  rose  to  his  feet  and  gave  the 
promise  in  the  name  of  his  companions. 

"How  many  are  there  of  you?"  he  asked. 

"  Seven,"  the  woman  answered. 

"  Are  the  children  to  come  ?" 

"  We  may  take  away  the  babies,  but  the  three 
boys  are  to  remain  behind." 

Five  minutes  later  the  door  of  the  fort  opened,  and 
seven  figures  came  out.  Not  a  shot  was  heard 
until  they  had  passed  down  the  street  of  the  village, 
and  had  entered  a  house  at  the  further  end;  then  the 
rapid  fire  comnienced  again.     Twice  during  the  even- 


380  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

ing  did  the  Afghans  attempt  to  storm  the  little  fort, 
but  were  each  time  repulsed  with  loss,  the  fire  of 
the  five  double-barreled  guns,  loaded  with  shot  and 
bullets,  and  of  the  revolvers,  proving  too  much  for 
them.     The  second  attack  was  made  about  eleven. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  wild  shouts  were 
heard  outside ;  there  was  an  instant  cessation  of  the 
enemy's  fire,  and  then  in  the  silence  the  deep 
thundering  sound  of  galloping  horses  was  heard. 

"  Hurrah  !"  Will  shouted  ;  "  here  they  are." 

A  minute  later  the  Third  Bomba}'  Cavalry  dashed 
up  to  the  fort.  The  door  was  thrown  open  and  the 
little  garrison  ran  out, 

"All  safe  ?"  the  oiRcer  in  command  asked. 

"All  safe,  except  Fortescue,  who  was  killed  at  the 
first  attack," 

"  So  we  heard  from  your  boy,"  the  officer  said  ; 
"  he  has  ridden  back  with  us  as  guide.  Now.  lads, 
dismount  and  clear  the  village.  Shoot  every  man 
you  find,  turn  the  w^omen  out  of  the  houses,  and 
then  set  them  on  fire.  Don't  waste  any  time  over 
it,  for  the  rascals  are  swarming  round  the  place. 
Captain  Lawson,  you  take  your  troop  and  dismount 
it  as  skirmishers  round  the  place,  and  keep  them  off 
till  we  have  done  here.  Here,  you  four  men  who 
brought  the  powder  kegs,  carry  them  inside  this 
fort.  We  are  going  to  blow  it  up  to  give  them  a 
lesson." 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  331 

Ten  minutes  later  the  cavalry  were  again  in  their_ 
saddles.  Spare  horses  had  been  brought  for  the 
four  officers,  and  the  servants  mounted  the  tats, 
which  would  be  able  to  keep  up  with  the  cavalry. 
The  Haraes  were  already  bursting  out  brightly  from 
the  houses. 

The  yells  of  the  Afghans  rose  high,  and  their 
bullets  flew  thickly  over  the  village,  but  they  kept 
at  a  respectful  distance.  The  officer  in  command 
gave  the  word  and  the  party  set  off  at  a  trot. 

Before  they  had  left  the  village  a  deep  roar  was 
heard,  and  they  knew  that  the  Afghan  fort  was  de- 
stroyed. Two  hours  later  they  arrived  safely  in 
camp,  where  the  four  rescued  officers  were  warmly 
congratulated  on  their  narrow  escape  by  their 
friends. 

On  the  14th  of  July  the  conspiracy  among  the 
wall's  troops  came  to  a  head.  They  openly  muti- 
nied and  marched  out  with  their  cannon  and  arms 
from  the  camp.  This  was  situated  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  that  of  the  British,  and  Colonel  Ripon 
"was  the  first  to  gallop  in  with  the  news. 

Unfortunately  the  British  commander  was  not  a 
man  endowed  with  promptness  of  decision,  and  no 
steps  were  taken  until  the  mutineers  had  proceeded 
a  considerable  distance ;  then  the  cavalry  and  artil- 
lery were  dispatched  in  pursuit.    Had   the  order 


332  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

been  given  at  once  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
wali's  force  would  have  been  completely  cut  up, 
and  those  who  escaped  would  have  arrived  a  mere 
horde  of  fugitives,  for  the  most  part  without  arras, 
at  Ayoub's  camp. 

Late  as  was  the  pursuit  it  was  not  ineffectual. 
Six  British  guns  opened  fire  upon  the  wall's  artil- 
lery, which  was  in  rear  of  the  retreating  column, 
with  such  effect  that  the  gunners  were  seized  with 
a  panic,  and  cutting  the  traces  fled  for  their  lives. 
A  good  many  were  cut  down  by  the  British  cavalry, 
and  the  six  guns  deserted  by  them  were  brought 
into  camp. 

Colonel  Burrows'  little  force  now  stood  alone,  for 
he  had  with  hira  but  fifteen  hundred  infantry,  five 
hundred  cavalry,  and  six  of  his  own  guns  besides 
those  taken  from  the  mutineers — a  force  altogether 
disproportioned  to  that  with  which  Ayoub  was  ad- 
vancing, swelled  as  it  was  by  the  accession  of  the 
wali's  army.  A  message  was  sent  to  General  Prim- 
rose at  Candahar  asking  for  reenforcements ;  but 
that  officer,  although  he  had  a  considerable  force  at 
his  disposal,  declined  to  dispatch  any  reenforce- 
ments whatever.  News  now  arrived  that  Ayoub, 
instead  of  marching  direct  upon  Girishk,  had  crossed 
the  Hehnund  higher  up  and  was  moving  across  the 
country  by  a  line  parallel  with  the  road  from  Can- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME  333 

dahar  to  Girishk.  By  this  movement  he  would 
have  the  option  of  placing  himself  either  between 
Colonel  Burrows'  force  and  Candahar,  of  marching 
direct  upon  the  latter  city,  or  of  keeping  to  the 
north  and  coming  down  upon  the  road  between 
Candahar  and  Shahpur,  and  then  marching  direct 
for  Cabul.  Under  these  circumstances  General 
Burrows  determined  to  fall  back  at  once  to  a  spot 
where  he  might  oppose  Ayoub's  advancing  force. 
Accordingly  the  brigade  marched  from  the  Hel- 
mund  to  a  village  called  Khusk-I-Nakhud  and  there 
encamped.  General  JSTuttal  with  the  cavalry  made 
reconnaissances  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy. 

The  people  of  the  country  held  altogether  aloof, 
and  no  accurate  information  was  obtained  as  to  the 
strength  of  Ayoub's  army,  which  was  believed  by 
General  Burrows  to  be  very  much  smaller  than  it 
really  was.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  26th  it 
was  known  that  Ayoub  \vas  marching  upon 
Mai  wand,  a  village  further  to  the  north,  and  at 
half-past  six  the  troops  moved  out  to  intercept  him. 

It  was  at  this  time  believed  that  it  was  only  the 
enemy's  cavalry  with  whom  we  should  have  to  deal. 
Upon  arriving  near  Maiwand,  however,  news  was 
brought  in  by  spies  that  the  whole  of  the  enemy 
were  at  hand.  The  force  was  at  once  halted  in  a 
position  singularly  ill  adapted  for  a  fighting  ground. 


334  l^R  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Deep  ravines  ran  both  to  the  right  and  to  the  left 
of  the  ground  occupied  by  the  British.  By  these 
the  enemy  could  advance  under  shelter  until  within 
a  short  distance.  On  either  side  were  ranges  of 
hills  completely  commanding  the  position. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  unsuitable  posi- 
tion than  that  which  General  Burrows  prepared  to 
hold  with  a  mere  handful  of  troops  against  an 
enormously  superior  force.  What  was  the  total 
strength  of  Ayoub's  arm}-  was  never  exactly  known, 
as  it  was  swollen  by  enormous  numbers  of  Ghazis 
and  tribesmen  from  the  villages.  These  were  in 
fact  far  more  formidable  opponents  than  the  regular 
Afghan  troops,  as  their  tremendous  rushes,  and  in- 
difference to  the  loss  inflicted  upon  them,  were 
trying  in  the  extreme  for  even  the  best-trained 
troops  to  withstand. 

The  morning  was  thick  and  but  little  could  be 
seen  of  Ayoub's  army.  His  cavalry,  indeed,  were 
found  to  be  moving  about  in  large  masses,  but 
these  fell  back  at  our  advance.  Lieutenant  Mac- 
lean, with  two  horse-artillery  guns  and  a  small 
cavalry  escort,  galloped  out  on  the  extreme  left  and 
opened  fire  on  the  Afghan  cavalry.  His  infantry 
at  once  appeared  in  force  swarming  down  toward 
the  guns,  and  these  were  withdrawn  to  a  position 
nearer  to  our  line. 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME  835 

The  British  infantry  were  formed  in  the  follow- 
ing order :  The  Sixty-sixth  were  on  the  right,  the 
Bombay  Grenadiers  in  the  center,  and  Jacob's  Rifles 
on  the  left.  Two  guns  were  placed  in  position  to 
support  the  Sixty -sixth  on  the  right ;  the  remaining 
four  British  guns,  and  the  six  smooth-bore  guns 
captured  from  the  wall's  mutineers,  were  placed 
between  the  Grenadiers  and  Jacob's  Rifles.  The 
Third  Scinde  Horse  and  Third  Bombay  Light  Cav- 
alry were  formed  in  the  rear  of  the  line. 

As  the  enemy  advanced,  our  guns  opened  a  heavy 
fire  upon  them,  but  it  was  i\x\\y  an  hour  before  their 
artillery  replied.  Then  thirty  guns  were  unmasked 
and  opened  fire  upon  the  British  line.  Undercover 
of  this  heavy  fire  swarms  of  the  enemy's  irregulars 
advanced  toward  our  position.  "When  within  six 
hundred  or  seven  hundred  yards  of  the  Sixty-sixth 
the  British  opened  with  their  Martini  rifles,  and  the 
shower  of  lead  at  such  an  unexpected  distance 
checked  the  advance  of  the  enemy. 

For  some  time  the  artillery  duel  continued,  but 
the  etfemy's  guns  w^ere  then  moved  on  to  the  hills 
on  either  side  of  the  British  position,  and  a  terrible 
cross-fire  was  opened  from  both  flanks.  At  about 
two  o'clock  the  smooth-bore  guns  began  to  get  short 
of  ammunition.  Only  sixty  rounds  had  been  cap- 
tured with  them,  and   there   being  no   reserve  of 


336  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

ammunition  fitting  them,  they  ceased  fire.  The 
position  now  became  most  serious.  From  the  ravines 
on  either  side  the  Ghazis  swarmed  up  in  vast  num- 
bers. The  artillery  thundered  from  the  heights 
upon  our  troops.  Some  of  their  batteries  were  brought 
up  to  within  very  short  distances  ;  and  great  num- 
bers of  the  enemy,  keeping  along  the  ravines  shel- 
tered from  our  fire,  came  up  in  the  rear  and  seized 
the  villages  there.  The  companies  of  Jacob's  Kifles 
on  the  left,  after  resisting  for  some  time  the  furious 
attacks  of  the  Ghazis,  began  to  waver.  The  ene- 
my's cavalry  swept  down  in  heavy  masses,  while 
our  cavalry,  for  some  reason  which  Las  never  been 
explained,  remained  inactive.  The  general  has 
stated  that  he  ordered  them  to  charge,  but  that 
they  would  not  do  so  ;  the  cavalry  affirm  that  they 
never  received  orders.  Anyhow,  at  this  critical 
moment  the  Third  Scinde  Horse  and  the  Third 
Bombay  Cavalry  remained  inactive.  The  confusion 
amid  Jacob's  Eifles  rapidly  grew  in  spite  of  the  ef- 
forts of  the  officers  to  rally  them.  The  Ghazis 
swept  down  upon  them  and  the  Rifles  broke  in  con- 
fusion and  rushed  among  the  Bombay  Grenadiers, 
who,  hitherto  fighting  steadily,  also  fell  into  confu- 
sion as  the  Rifles  and  Ghazis  burst  into  their  ranks. 
"  This  is  hot  work,"  Will  Gale  said  to  his  captain 
when  the  enemy's  guns  on  the  heights  on  either  side 


FOn  NAME  AND  FA  MR  33? 

began  to  play  on  the  line  of  the  Sixty-sixth  with 
their  flank  fire. 

"It  is,  indeed,"  the  officer  answered,  "and  the 
fire  of  the  enemy  from  the  edge  of  that  ravine  is 
very  trying.  I  wish  to  Heaven  the  general  would 
move  us  further  back  ;  he  has  made  a  hideous  mis- 
take in  fighting  on  such  ground  as  this." 

"  It  would  be  difficult  to  withdraw  now,"  Will 
said.  "  It  would  shake  the  confidence  of  the  men. 
I  think  myself  that  we  ought  to  advance  and  drive 
the  enemy  before  us  till  we  take  up  some  really  de- 
fensible position  ;  but  I  doubt  if  the  Afghans  would 
wait  for  that.  In  all  our  history  a  British  charge 
against  an  Indian  enemy  has  always  been  success- 
ful, no  matter  how  great  the  odds." 

"  It  is  a  bad  lookout,"  the  captain  said  as  a  shell 
burst  close  by  him,  killing  and  wounding  fiv^e  or  six 
men,  "It  is  quite  evident  that  if  we  stay  where  we 
are  we  must  in  time  be  annihilated.  Our  fellows 
will  stand,  no  doubt ;  they  are  English  soldiers  and 
well  officered.  But  how"  can  one  expect  the  two 
Indian  .regiments,  with  only  three  or  four  white 
officers  each,  to  remain  steady  under  such  a  fire  as 
this  and  with  these  desperate  charges  of  Ghazis 
upon  them  ?" 

Yery  steadily  the  Sixty-sixth  held  their  ground 
in  spite  of  a  flanking  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry. 


338  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Every  time  the  enemy  gathered  at  the  edge  of  the 
ravine  for  a  rush  the  heavy  fire  of  the  company  on 
the  flank,  which  was  wheeled  back  at  a  right  angle 
to  the  line  so  as  to  face  them,  drove  them  back  to 
shelter  again.  The  regiment  had  suffered  very 
heavily,  still  the  officers  felt  that  they  could  endure 
till  nightfall.  Of  victory  there  was  now  no  idea  ; 
for  to  conquer,  men  must  act,  and  here  they  were 
only  called  upon  to  suffer.  Presently  a  wild  tumult 
was  heard  to  the  left,  and  then  the  men  of  the  scat- 
tered native  regiments  burst  in  a  tumultuous  mass 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Sixty-sixth. 

"Steady,  men,  steady  I"  shouted  the  officers. 

But  it  was  of  no  avail.  All  was  in  hopeless  con- 
fusion. The  artillery  fired  until  the  Ghazis  were 
within  a  few  yards  of  them  ;  then  they  hastily  lim- 
bered op  and  fell  back.  But  the  Ghazis  were  too 
close  at  hand,  and  two  of  the  guns  were  lost.  Even 
now  had  the  cavalry  charged  upon  the  Afghans 
time  would  have  been  given  to  the  broken  infantry 
to  form  again  into  a  solid  mass  and  to  draw  off  from 
the  field  in  good  order.  But  the  cavalry  remained 
inactive.  Both  these  regiments  had  a  record  of 
good  service  in  the  field,  but  their  conduct  on  this 
occasion  was  little  short  of  disgraceful.  Among  the 
infantry  all  order  was  lost,  and,  mixed  up  in  a  con- 
fased  mass  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  the  enemy, 


FOn  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME.  339 

they  fell  back,  each  man  fighting  for  himself,  upon 
the  village  behind.  Here  in  the  walled  inclosures 
the  Sixty-sixth  and  the  Grenadiers  rallied  and 
fought  nobly.  Each  house  was  used  as  a  fortress 
and  only  carried  after  a  desperate  struggle.  Here 
Colonel  Galbraith  and  nine  other  officers  of  the 
Sixty -sixth  were  killed,  and  the  greater  portion  of 
the  regiment  shared  their  fate. 

Some  bodies  of  the  troops  entirely  cut  off  from 
the  rest  in  their  retreat  stood  their  ground  in  the 
open  and  fought  desperateh'  to  the  end.  surround- 
ing themselves  ere  they  died  with  a  ring  of  slaugh- 
tered enemies.  So  desperate  was  the  defense  in 
some  cases  that,  outnumbering  them  fifty  to  one, 
the  enemy  never  dared  to  come  to  close  quarters 
with  the  gallant  band,  which  kept  up  a  rain  of  fire 
on  them  till  the  last  man  had  fallen.  So  long  and 
stoutly  was  the  village  defended  that  the  great 
majority  of  the  broken  fugitives  had  time  to  pass 
out  behind.  General  Burrows,  who  had  done  his 
best  to  stem  the  rout,  drew  off  the  shattered  re- 
mains and  fell  back  with  them  in  fair  order. 

"Will  Gale's  company  was  in  the  right  flank  of  the 
regiment,  and  therefore  furthest  from  the  point 
where  the  line  was  broken  by  the  rush  of  the  native 
troops.  Seeing  what  was  taking  place,  the  captain 
formed  his  men  into  companj^  square  and  fell  back 


340  FOR  NAME  A ND  FAME. 

to  the  village  in  fair  order.  The  company  then 
threw  itself  into  a  house  with  a  walled  garden  to 
the  right  of  the  village,  and  its  steady  fire  in  no 
slight  degree  helped  to  keep  back  the  Afghans  and 
cover  the  retreat.  This  they  did  until  General 
Burrows  himself  rode  up  and  ordered  them  to  fall 
in. 

"  Your  company  has  done  good  service,  sir,"  he 
said  to  Captain  Fletcher,  "  and  it  is  for  you  now  to 
cover  the  retreat." 

Slowly  and  in  good  order  the  company  fell  back, 
and  joining  the  troops  who  still  retained  their  for- 
mation retired  slowly,  facing  about  and  pouring 
volley  after  volley  into  the  Afghans  as  the}'-  came 
out  through  the  village.  For  two  miles  the  enemy 
pressed  closely  upon  them  ;  but  their  loss  had 
already  been  immense  and  all  desired  to  join  in  the 
plundering  of  the  British  camp,  therefore  the  pur- 
suit slackened,  and  three  miles  from  the  village  the 
rear -guard  were  ordered  to  the  main  body  at  quick 
march. 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME.  341 


CHAPTER  XX. 


OANDAHAR. 


"  Thank  God  that  is  over,"  Captain  FJetcher  said 
as  he  lifted  his  cap  and  wiped  the  perspiration  from, 
his  forehead,  "  but  the  regiment  is  almost  annihi- 
lated." 

"  I  fear  the  worst  is  yet  to  come,"  Will  said. 
•*We  are  fifty  miles  from  Candahar,  and  when  we 
came  out  we  had  to  carry  water  with  us,  for 
there  was  none  to  be  found  on  the  way.  We  have 
a  fearful  march  before  us.  What  on  earth  has  be- 
come of  the  cavalry  ?  They  have  done  nothing  to 
cover  the  retreat." 

"  They  have  ridden  on  ahead,"  the  captain  said 
bitterly,  "  without  having  drawn  a  sword  in  this 
day's  fight,  and  will  ride  into  Candahar  to-morrow 
morning  without  losing  a  man,  save  the  few  who 
were  knocked  over  by  the  artillery." 

Presently  an' officer  rode  up. 

"  Ah  I  Gale,"  he  exclaimed,  "  thank  God  you  are 


342  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

safe.     I   rode  back   to  see."     And  Colonel  Ripon 
shook  hands  warmly  with  the  young  officer. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  safe,  sir,"  Will 
answered.     "  This  has  been  a  terrible  day." 

"  It  has,  indeed,"  the  colonel  said  mournfully, 
"  terrible !  There  has  been  nothing  like  it  since  the 
retreat  from  Cabul  in  1848.  And  how  many  of 
these  poor  fellows  will  reach  Candahar  God  only 
knows!  The  water-bottles  were  emptied  hours 
ago.  The  men  are  already  exhausted  with  the  long 
day's  work  and  parched  with  thirst,  and  we  have 
fifty  miles'  tramp  before  us.  Have  you  an}'- 
wounded  men  here  with  you  ?" 

"  Several,  sir,  some  of  them  badly  hurt." 

"  Put  one  of  the  worst  on  my  horse,"  Colonel 
Ripon  said,  dismounting;  "and  push  on  briskly, 
lads.  There  are  some  carts  ahead.  We  will  turn 
out  the  stores  and  put  the  wounded  in.  You  had 
better  let  the  men  throw  away  their  knapsacks  and 
all  useless  incumbrances,"  he  said  to  Captain 
Fletcher.  "  You  will  have  to  march  and  perhaps 
fight  all  night,  and  must  husband  your  strength." 

Steadily  the  rear-guard  followed  the  broken 
column.  It  consisted  of  men  of  the  Sixty-sixth  and 
Grenadiers  mingled  together,  and  well  did  they 
carry  out  their  arduous  duties.  A  portion  were 
thrown  out  on  each  flank,  while  the  rest  kept  to 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  343 

the  road.  This  was  strewn  with  arms  and  ac- 
couterraents  of  all  kinds.  The  men's  hearts  were 
wrung  to  the  core  by  the  sight  of  the  number  of 
•wounded  who  had  dropped  by  the  roadside,  and 
who  implored  them  as  they  passed  not  to  leave 
them  to  be  murdered  by  the  enemy.  Many  of  them 
were  lifted  and  placed  in  carts,  everything  else 
being  turned  out  to  make  way  for  them,  but  many 
had  to  be  left  behind,  for  it  would  be  impossible  to 
carry  them  on  such  a  march.  Slowly  the  long 
night  passed.  All  along  the  line  ahead  a  scattered 
fire  of  musketry  could  be  heard  as  the  villagers 
shot  down  the  fugitives  who  in  hopes  of  finding 
water  straggled  from  the  road.  Sometimes  sharp 
volleys  rang  out  as  the  troops  stood  at  bay  and 
drove  back  the  natives  when  they  pressed  upon 
them.  Several  times  the  rear-guard  were  hotly 
engaged  as  the  Afghans,  furious  at  seeing  their  prey 
slipping  from  their  fingers,  mustered  and  fell  upon 
■  them ;  but  each  time  they  were  repulsed  and  the 
column  held  on  its  way.  Will  was  in  command  of 
a  mixed  band  of  some  forty  men  which  moved  to 
the  right  of  the  road.  Colonel  Ripon  kept  by  his 
side,  but  few  words  were  spoken  through  the  long 
night. 

The   men  were   half-mad  with    thirst,    and   had 
there  been  water  near  nothing  could  have  restrained 


344  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

them  from  rushing  to  it ;  but  they  knew  that  none 
could  be  obtained  until  they  reached  Candahar. 
Many,  in  utter  despair  at  the  distance  before  them, 
threw  themselves  down  on  the  ground  to  die.  But 
the  others  kept  on,  stumbling  and  staggering  as 
they  marched  stupid  and  half-blind,  rallying  only 
when  the  order  came  to  turn  and  repulse  the 
enemy. 

Two  or  three  times  in  the  night  the  rear-guard 
halted  for  a  few  minutes  and  the  men  threw  them- 
selves down  on  the  sand,  where  they  picked  the 
scattered  herbage  within  their  reach  and  chewed  it 
to  quench  their  burning  thirst.  Daylight  was  a 
welcome  relief.  They  knew  indeed  that  with  the 
rising  of  the  sun  their  torments  would  grow  still 
greater;  but  the  change  from  the  long,  dreary 
darkness  cheered  them,  and  they  could  now  see 
from  the  nature  of  the  country  that  they  were 
within  fifteen  miles  of  Candahar.  They  marched 
on  for  two  more  hours,  and  then  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  little  body  saw  that  they  could  do 
no  more. 

He  therefore  led  them  to  a  village  on  rising 
ground  a  sliort  distance  from  the  road  and  halted 
them  there.  The  exhausted  men  threw  themselves 
down  in  the  shade  of  the  houses.  They  had  the 
long  day  yet  to  pass  and  their  thirst  seemed  unen- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  345 

durable ;  still  the  halt  was  welcome,  for  there  was 
not  a  man  but  felt  that  his  strength  was  at  an  end 
and  that  it  would  have  been  an  impossibility  to 
reach  the  city. 

Captain  Fletcher  picked  out  a  few  of  the  least 
exhausted  men  and  placed  them  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  village  to  call  the  rest  to  arms  in  case  the 
Afghans,  numbers  of  whom  were  hovering  round, 
should  venture  upon  an  attack.  For  the  first  hour 
after  reaciiing  the  village  not  a  man  moved  from 
the  spot  where  he  had  thrown  himself  down.  The 
officers  had  searched  the  houses,  and  found  some 
jars  of  water.  These  they  carried  round  and  doled 
out  a  few  mouthfuls  to  each  man.  Small  though 
the  amount  was,  the  relief  afforded  was  immense ; 
and  as  soon  as  their  first  exhaustion  had  subsided 
the  men  scattered  through  the  gardens  plucking  the 
vine  leaves  and  chewing  them,  and  fortunately  dis- 
covering a  few  gourds,  which  were  cut  up  into 
small  fragments  and  divided. 

The  day  wore  on,  and  at  one  o'clock  there  was  a 
shout  of  joy,  for  a  body  of  cavalry  were  seen  ap- 
proaching at  a  rapid  trot  from  the  town.  Soon  they 
rode  up,  and  proved  to  be  a  regiment  which  had 
been  dispatched  from  the  town  for  the  relief  of  the 
stragglers.  At  daybreak  the  cavalry,  riding  in 
many  miles  ahead  of    the  infantry,  brought   the 


346  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

news  to  the  city  of  the  defeat,  and  something  very 
like  a  panic  at  first  ensued. 

It  was  some  time  before  anything  was  done  to 
succor  the  exhausted  fugitives  who  were  pressing 
forward  to  the  city.  But  at  last  a  force  was  sent 
out  with  wagons  and  bullocks  with  water-skins,  and 
thus  hundreds  of  lives  which  would  otherwise  have 
been  sacrificed  were  saved.  The  cavalry  had  come 
out  with  full  water-bottles,  and  relief  was  soon 
afforded  to  the  worn-out  rear-guard,  who  at  once 
fell  into  rank  and  resumed  their  march  toward 
Candahar,  the  cavalry,  who  had  brought  a  few 
light  carts  with  them,  pursuing  their  journey  for 
some  distance  further  to  succor  and  collect  those 
who  had  fallen  on  the  road. 

The  sun  was  just  setting  as  the  rear-guard  of  Gen- 
eral Burrows'  brigade  reached  Candahar,  after  hav- 
ing marched  since  the  previous  morning  sixty  miles 
without  food,  and  with  only  a  few  mouthfuls  of 
water,  and  having  fought  for  nearly  twenty-four 
hours  of  that  time.  Every  preparation  was  made 
in  the  city  for  the  expected  attack.  The  defenses 
were  strengthened,  the  lower  portion  of  the  popu- 
lace, who  would  be  likely  to  declare  against  thera, 
were  turned  out  of  the  town,  and  provisions  were 
collected  from  the  country  round.  Fortunately 
ample  time   was  afforded  thera   for    these    prep- 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  347 

arations.  Ayoub's  array  had  been  to  a  great  extent 
demoralized  by  the  tremendous  losses  which  it  had 
sustained  in  the  defeat  of  this  handful  of  British 
troops,  and  some  days  elapsed  before  it  moved  for- 
ward from  Maiwand.  Then  by  easy  marches  it  ap- 
proached Candahar,  and  took  up  its  position  in  the 
plain  north  of  the  city. 

Just  as  the  rear-guard  of  General  Burrows'  force 
were  starting  from  their  halting-place  for  their  last 
march  into  the  city,  Will  Gale  was  delighted  at 
seeing  Yossouf  approaching.  He  had  not  seen  him 
since  the  regiment  marched  out  from  Kusk-I- 
Kakhud.  The  young  Afghan  had  remained  with 
the  other  followers  in  the  village  behind  Maiwand 
during  the  battle,  when,  while  the  resistance  of 
the  British  was  still  continuing,  the  Afghans  had 
worked  round  by  the  ravines  and  entered  the  vil- 
lage. 

Yossouf  had  been  obliged  to  join  in  the  retreat, 
which  was  at  once  commenced  by  the  baggage 
train.  Full  of  anxiety  for  the  fate  of  his  master,  he 
had  hurried  forward  at  his  best  speed  to  Candahar, 
reaching  the  city  only  an  hour  or  two  after  the 
arrival  of  the  cavalry.  In  spite  of  the  distance  he 
had  already  performed  he  did  not  delay  for  an 
instant,  but  set  out  again  with  some  provisions,  and 
a  bottle  of  wine  and  9ne  of  water  hidden  away  in 


348  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

his  dress.  He  had  resolved  to  push  forward  at  all 
hazards  until  he  had  either  joined  his  master,  wheth- 
er on  his  retreat  or  as  a  prisoner  in  Aj'oub's  array,  or 
had  discovered  his  body  on  the  field  of  battle,  and 
given  him  burial. 

Passing  through  the  throng  of  fugitives,  and 
questioning  any  of  the  men  of  the  Sixty-sixth  he 
met,  he  made  his  way  forward.  He  had  learned 
that  Will's  company  had  withdrawn  in  a  body  from 
the  battle-field  to  the  village,  but  further  than  this 
none  of  the  fugitives  could  tell  him ;  and  his  delight 
was  exuberant  when  he  saw  Will  marching  along 
with  his  company. 

The  little  supply  which  he  had  brought  was  at 
once  served  out  among  the  men  who  most  needed 
it,  and  Will,  who  had  been  in  a  state  of  great  un- 
easiness concerning  the  safety  of  his  faithful  fol- 
lower, was  greatly  cheered  by  finding  him  alive  and 
unhurt. 

The  news  of  the  defeat  of  Maiwand  produced  an 
immense  sensation  in  India,  and  measures  were  at 
once  taken  for  the  relief  of  Candahar.  A  strong 
division  was  ordered  to  march  from  Cabul  through 
Ghuzni,  w^hile  General  Phayre,  who  commanded 
the  force  at  Quettah,  was  also  ordered  to  advance 
to  the  assistance  of  the  garrison.  General  Phayre, 
however,  although  comparatively  close  to  Candahar, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  349 

was  unable  to  advance  for  some  time.  The  same 
miserable  economy  which  had  dispersed  the  trans- 
port train  after  the  signature  of  the  treaty  of  Gun- 
damuk,  and  had  so  delayed  the  advance  of  General 
Roberts  toward  Cabul  after  the  massacre  of  the 
mission,  again  paralyzed  the  action  of  the  British 
troops,  the  whole  of  the  transport  train,  collected  at 
so  much  cost  and  difficulty,  having  been  dismissed 
to  their  homes  as  soon  as  the  negotiations  with 
Abdul-Rahman  held  out  a  prospect  of  peace 

Many  weeks  elapsed  before  a  sufficient  number  of 
baggage  animals  could  be  collected  to  enable  Gen- 
eral Phayre  to  advance  with  his  relieving  column. 
In  Candahar  things  passed  quietly.  The  enemy 
from  time  to  time  fired  shot  and  shell  into  the  city 
from  distant  positions ;  but  believing  that  no  relief 
could  reach  the  garrison  before  the  supplies  of  food 
were  exhausted,  and  that  it  must  therefore  yield  to 
hunger,  Ayoub's  army  contented  themselves  by 
watching  the  city  from  a  distance,  and  by  keeping 
a  cordon  of  troops  round  its  walls  to  prevent  the 
country  people  from  bringing  in  provisions. 

Detached  bodies,  indeed,  often  crept  up  near  the 
walls  and  kept  up  a  musketry  fire  at  any  troops 
showing  themselves  there.  But  no  attempts  were 
made  to  batter  down  the  walls  or  to  make  anything 
like  a  resolute  assault.    Ayoub's  army  had  indeed 


350  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

greatly  lost  heart.  If  fifteen  hundred  British  sol- 
diers, attacked  under  circumstances  of  the  greatest 
disadvantage,  had  killed  six  thousand  or  seven 
thousand  of  their  assailants,  what  might  not  be  the 
slaughter  which  a  greatly  superior  force  would  in- 
flict when  sheltered  behind  stone  walls? 

From  one  village,  situate  half  a  mile  from  the 
eastern  gate  of  the  city,  so  constant  and  harassing  a 
fire  was  maintained  by  the  enemy  that  General 
Primrose  resolved  to  make  a  sortie  to  capture  it. 
The  affair  was,  however,  badly  planned,  and  re- 
sulted in  failure.  The  Afghans,  sheltered  in  the 
strongly  built  houses,  kept  up  so  severe  a  fire  upon 
the  assailants  that  these  were  obliged  to  fall  back 
with  a  considerable  loss. 

After  that  no  further  sorties  were  attempted,  and 
the  city  remained  in  quiet  until  the  relieving 
columns  were  close  at  hand. 

The  force  selected  to  march  from  Cabul  to  the 
relief  of.  Candahar  under  the  command  of  General 
Koberts  consisted  of  the  Ninety-second  Highland- 
ers, Twenty-third  Pioneers,  Twenty-fourth  and 
Twenty-fifth  Punjaub  Infantry,  the  Second,  Fourth, 
and  Fifth  Goorkhas,  the  Seventy -second  Highland- 
ers, second  battalion  of  the  Sixtieth,  the  Norfolk 
Rangers,  the  Second,  Third,  and  Fifteenth  Sikhs. 
There  were  three    batteries   of  artillery   and  four 


Fon  NAME  AND  FAMK  351 

cavalry  regiments,  the  Ninth  Lancers,  the  Third 
Bengal  Cavalry,  the  Third  Punjaub  Cavalry,  and 
the  Central  India  Horse.  This  gave  a  total  of 
about  ten  thousand  fighting  men.  There  were,  in 
addition,  eight  thousand  followers  to  feed,  seven 
thousand  horses,  and  some  eight  thousand  transport 
and  artillery  mules  and  ponies. 

The  ameer  did  his  best  to  assist  the  force,  which 
was  indeed  going  to  fight  his  battle  as  well  as  their 
own.  The  question  was  whether  so  large  a  force 
would  be  able  to  subsist  on  the  road,  and  in  order 
to  assist  them  to  do  so  he  sent  orders  to  all  the 
tribes  along  the  line  of  march  to  aid  the  column  in 
every  way.  In  consequence,  no  difficulties  were 
met  with,  and  scarce  a  shot  was  fired  on  the  way 
down.  In  seven  days  after  starting  Ghuzni  was 
reached,  and  in  fifteen  Khelat-I-Ghilzai,  where 
Colonel  Tanner  with  a  small  garrison  had  been 
besieged  by  the  local  tribes  since  the  advance  of 
Ayoub.  Khelat-I-Ghilzai  stood  near  the  lower  end 
of  the  valley  down  which  the  column  was  advancing, 
and  was  but  three  days'  march  from  Candahar. 

From  the  day  of  their  leaving  Cabul  to  their  ar- 
rival at  Khelat-I-Ghilzai  the  troops  had  marched  a 
distance  of  fifteen  miles  a  day — not  an  ^extraordinary 
distance  for  a  single  regiment  to  perform,  but  a 
wonderful  feat  for  a  force  containing  some  eighteen 


352  FOB.  NAME  AND  FAME. 

thousand  persons  and  nine  thousand  baggage  ani- 
mals marching  through  mountains  and  valleys.  As 
the  relieving  force  approached  Candahar  Ayoub 
drew  off  his  troops  from  around  the  city,  and  took 
up  a  strong  position  on  some  hills  a  few  miles  to 
the  north.  On  the  27th  of  August  Koberts'  cavalry 
were  near  enough  to  establish  heliographic  commu- 
nication with  the  town,  and  on  the  31st  the  column 
entered  Candahar. 

During  the  siege  the  duties  of  the  garrison  had 
been  heavy.  A  strong  force  was  always  held  ready 
to  get  under  arms  instantly  in  case  of  an  attack  by 
the  enemy.  The  number  of  sentries  on  the  walls, 
magazines,  and  lower  important  points  was  large. 
The  town  had  to  be  kept  in  order  and  the  inhabit- 
ants strictly  watched.  House-to-house  requisitions 
were  made  for  provisions,  and  the  greatest  economy 
was  used  in  the  distribution  of  these,  as  the  garrison 
had  no  means  of  knowing  how  long  a  time  might 
elapse  before  any  could  arrive.  The  death  of  ten 
officers  of  the  Sixty-sixth,  all  of  senior  standing  to 
himself,  had  placed  Will  Gale  at  the  top  of  the  list 
of  lieutenants,  and  as  several  officers  were  disabled 
by  wounds  he  was  now  performing  captain's  duty, 
and  was  in  charge  of  a  company.  There  were,  in- 
deed, but  three  companies  now  in  the  Sixty-sixth 
Kegiment,  so  great  having  been  the  loss  that  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  353 

whole  of  the  survivors  now  made  up  but  this  num- 
ber. 

Among  the  other  duties  of  the  troops  was  that 
of  protecting  the  many  houses  which  had  been  left 
vacant  by  the  hasty  retirement  of  many  of  the  na- 
tive merchants  and  traders  at  the  approach  of 
Ayoub's  force.  Colonel  Primrose,  anxious  to  lessen 
the  number  of  mouths  to  be  fed,  encouraged  the 
exodus,  promising  to  take  charge  of  all  property 
left  behind.  This  duty  proved  a  troublesome  one, 
as  the  lower  class,  which  still  remained  in  the  city, 
were  constantly  endeavoring  to  break  into  and  loot 
the  houses  thus  left  vacant  by  their  proprietors.  In 
order  to  protect  these  as  much  as  possible  many  of 
the  officers  were  directed  to  move  from  their  quar- 
ters in  the  barracks  and  take  up  their  residence  in 
them,  an  order  which  was  gladly  obeyed,  as  the 
exchange  from  hot,  confined  quarters  to  the  roomy 
dwellings  of  the  merchants  was  a  very  pleasant  one. 
"Will  Gale  was  one  of  those  who  so  moved,  and  with 
Yoss^ouf  and  two  native  followers  had  been  quar- 
tered in  the  house  of  a  wealthy  silk  merchant. 

One  night  he  was  aroused  from  sJeep  by  Yossouf. 

"Sahib!"  the  latter  whispered,  "I  hear  people 
moving  below.  I  think  there, arj^-ihieves  in  the 
house." 

Will  rose  noiselessly,  slipped  on  his  trousers  and 
shoes,  and  taking  up  a  revolver  in  one  hand  and  a 


354  t'Olt  NAM^  AJ^D  PaMB. 

sword  in  another  stole  downstairs,  followed  by 
Yossouf  with  his  long  Afghan  knife  in  his  hand. 
The  door  of  the  warehouse  was  open,  and  within  it 
Will  saw,  by  the  faint  light  of  a  lamp  which  one  of 
them  carried,  four  Afghan  ruffians  engaged  in  mak- 
ing up  silks  into  large  bundles  in  readiness  to  carry 
off.  His  approach  was  unnoticed,  and  on  reaching 
the  door  he  leveled  his  pistol  and  shouted  to  the 
Afghans  to  surrender  as  his  prisoners.  In  reply 
they  dropped  the  lamp,  and  made  a  sudden  rush  at 
him.  He  fired  his  pistol  hastily  in  the  darkness, 
but  in  an  instant  the  Afghans  were  upon  him.  The 
first  man  he  cut  down,  but  he  was  knocked  over  by 
the  rush  of  the  others.  Two  fell  upon  him,  but  Yos- 
souf bounded  upon  them  like  a  tiger  and  buried  his 
knife  to  the  hilt  in  their  backs  in  quick  succession. 
The  last  of  the  party,  without  staying  to  see  what 
was  the  fate  of  his  friends,  at  once  took  to  his  heels, 
and  rushing  to  the  door  leading  to  the  street  made 
his  escape.     Yossouf  raised  Will  to  his  feet. 

"  Are  you  hurt  ?"  he  asked  anxiously. 

"Nothing  to  speak  of,"  Will  replied.  "I  am  a 
bit  shaken  and  bruised  b}'^  the  fall.  Those  fellows 
in  the  darkness  were  upon  me  before  I  could  see 
them.  Thanks  to  you,  I  have  escaped  without  hurt, 
Yossouf,  and  had  it  not  been  for  your  aid  they 
would   assuredly  have   made  an  end   of   me.     My 


FOB  NAMW  AND  FAMW.  365 

pistol  had  fallen  from  my  hand  as  they  knocked  me 
down,  and  on  the  ground  I  could  not  have  defended 
myself  with  my  sword  for  an  instant.  Once  more, 
Yossouf,  I  owe  my  life  to  you." 

So  many  attempts  similar  to  that  made  upon  the 
house  occupied  by  "Will  Gale  took  place  that  sen- 
tries were  posted  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  at  the  en- 
trances to  the  various  streets  in  which  the  houses 
left  deserted  by  the  native  traders  were  situated, 
and  orders  were  given  that  no  natives  should  be  out 
of  their  houses  after  that  hour  unless  provided  with 
a  pass  signed  by  the  commandant  of  the  city.  Sev- 
eral messengers  were  from  time  to  time  sent  out  to 
endeavor  to  get  through  the  enemy's  lines  and  to 
carry  to  General  Phayre  the  news  of  what  was 
going  on  in  the  city.  A  few  of  these  succeeded  in 
getting  through,  but  none  returned,  so  that  until 
the  signal-lights  were  seen  flashing  from  the  distant 
hills  in  the  direction  of  Khelat-I-Ghilzai  the  garri- 
son were  unaware  of  the  steps  which  were  being 
taken  for  their  rescue.  Even  had  unforeseen  ob- 
stacles prevented  the  advent  of  either  of  the  reliev- 
ing columns,  it  is  probable  that  the  garrison  of 
Candahar  would  finally  have  freed  itself.  Colonel 
Primrose  had  at  his  disposal  a  force  more  than 
double  that  which  had  fought  at  Maiwand,  and  had 
the  British  advanced  into  the  plain  and  offered  bat 


356  J^on  NAME  AND  FAME. 

tie  to  Ayoub  on  a  fair  fighting  ground  they  should 
without  diflBculty  have  defeated  his  army,  whose 
long  delays  and  hesitation  showed  how  immensely 
their  morale  had  been  affected  by  the  previous  bat- 
tle. Thus  it  was  that  Sale,  after  sustaining  a  long 
siege  in  Jellalabad,  finally  sallied  out  and  com- 
pletely defeated  the  besieging  army  before  the  ar- 
rival of  the  force  marching  to  his  relief. 

The  Candahar  force  was  not  commanded  by  a 
Sale ;  but  had  it  been  given  a  chance  to  retrieve 
Maiwand,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  what  the 
issue  would  have  been.  Over  and  over  again  the 
subject  was  discussed  at  the  messes  of  the  various 
regiments,  and  immense  indignation  was  felt  at  the 
force  being  kept  cooped  up  in  Candahar  when  the 
history  of  India  recorded  scores  of  examples  of  vic- 
tories won  by  British  troops  against  greater  odds 
than  those  now  opposed  to  them. 

It  must  be  said,  however,  that  the  native  portion 
of  the  array  in  Candahar  was  of  very  inferior 
fighting  quality  to  that  which  operated  in  Eastern 
Afghanistan.  Those  regiments  were  for  the  most 
part  either  Goorkhas,  Sikhs,  or  Punjaubees,  than 
w^hom  no  braver  men  exist.  The  Goorkhas  are 
small,  active  men,  mountaineers  by  birth,  and  to 
whom  war  is  a  passion.  The  Sikhs  and  Punjaubees, 
upon    the  contrary,  are  tall,  stately  men,  proud  of 


FOR  NA  ¥E  AND  FA  ME.  '  357 

the  historical  fighting  powers  of  their  race.  They 
had  fouo^ht  with  extreme  braverv  against  the 
English,  but  once  conquered  they  became  true  and 
faithful  subjects  of  the  English  crown,  and  it 
was  their  fidelity  and  bravery  which  saved  Eng- 
land in  the  dark  days  of  the  mutiny.  The  Bombay 
troops,  upon  the  other  hand,  were  drawn  from 
races  which  had  long  ceased  to  be  warlike.  They 
possessed  none  of  the  dash  and  fire  of  the  hardier 
troops ;  their  organization  was  and  still  is  defect- 
ive ;  and  the  system  of  officering  them  was  radically 
bad.  The  contrast  between  the  two  was  strongly 
shown  in  the  conduct  of  the  Sikh  and  Goorkha 
regiments  with  General  Stewart  when  attacked  by 
the  sudden  rush  of  the  Ghazis  at  Ahmed-khel,  and 
that  of  the  Bombay  Grenadiers  and  Jacob's  Foot 
under  precisely  similar  circumstances  at  Mai  wand. 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  the  main  reason 
why  General  Primrose  did  not  sally  out  and  give 
battle  on  the  plain  of  Candahar  was  that  in  case  of 
defeat  the  populace  oi  the  city  would  assuredly 
have  closed  their  gates  against  the  army, 'and  that 
nothing  would  have  remained  but  a  disastrous  re- 
treat across  the  Kojak  Pass,  a  retreat  of  which 
very  few  would  ever  have  survived  to  tell.  Their 
enforced  idleness  in  Candahar  made  the  time  pass 
slowly  and  heavily,  and  it  was  with,  the  greatest 


358  ^OB  NA  ME  AND  FA  ME. 

joy  that  the  garrison  hailed  the  entry  of  the 
columns  of  General  Koberts. 

Upon  his  arrival  the  general  lost  no  time  in 
reconnoitering  the  position  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  well  chosen  for  defense.  His  army  was 
encamped  behind  the  range  of  hills  known  as  the 
Baba-Wali  Hills.  A  road  ran  direct  over  these 
hills,  and  here  a  strong  force  was  stationed  sup- 
ported by  artillery  in  position.  The  last  hill  of  the 
range  on  the  southwest  was  known  as  the  Pir- 
Paimal  Hill,  and  by  turning  this  the  camp  of 
Ayoub's  army  would  be  taken  in  flank  and  the 
defenses  in  front  rendered  useless.  The  recon- 
naissance which  was  made  by  the  cavalry,  sup- 
ported by  the  Fifteenth  Sikhs,  advanced  close  to 
the  central  hill.  The  enemy  unmasked  five  guns 
and  opened  upon  them,  and  the  Afghans  poured 
down  to  the  attack. 

There  was,  however,  no  intention  on  the  part  of 
the  British  commander  of  bringing  on  a  battle,  and 
the  troops  accordingly  fell  back  in  good  order  to 
the  main  body.  A  mile  and  a  half  from  the  city 
stood  a  low  ridge  of  rock  called  the  Picket  Hill,  in 
the  line  by  which  the  column  would  have  to  move 
to  turn  the  Pir-Paimal  Hill,  and  this  was  at  once 
seized.    A  number  of  Ghazis  stationed  here  fought, 


FOR  NAME  AND  FA  ME.  359 

as  usual,  desperately,  but  the  Fourth  Goorkhas  re- 
pulsed their  charge  and  cleared  the  ridge  of  the 
enemy.  The  general  determined  to  attack  the  en- 
emy's position  with  his  whole  force  on  the  follow- 
ing day. 


360  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    CANDAHAK. 

The  plan  of  action,  upon  which  General  Roberts 
determined  was  simple.  The  first  and  second 
briorades  were  to  advance  abreast,  the  third  to  fol- 
low in  support.  As  the  Sixty-sixth  were  to  take  no 
part  in  the  fight,  Will  Gale  obtained  leave  to  ride 
out  with  General  Weatherby  with  the  third  divi- 
sion. The  enemy  were  well  aware  of  the  weak  point 
of  the  position  which  they  occupied,  and  they  had 
mustered  thickly  in  the  plain,  in  which  were  several 
villages,  with  canals  cutting  up  the  ground  in  all 
directions,  and  abounding  with  hedges,  ditches,  and 
inclosures ;  altogether  a  very  strongly  defensible 
position. 

It  was  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  1st  of  September  that 
the  British  force  advanced.  The  first  division  on 
the  right  advanced  against  the  large  walled  village 
of  Guudi,  which  was  strongly  held  by  the  enemy. 
Against  this  General  Macpherson  sent  the  Ninety- 
second  and  the  Second  Goorkhas,  and  stubbornly 
as  the  enemy  fought  the  place  was  carried  by  the 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  361 

bayonet.  On  the  line  taken  by  the  second  division 
under  General  Baker,  three  villages  had  successively 
to  be  carried,  Abasabad,  Kaghanary,  and  Gundigan. 
The  Seventy-second  Highlanders  and  the  Second 
Sikhs  advanced  to  the  attack  of  these.  The  resist- 
ance of  the  Afghans  was  stubborn  in  the  extreme, 
but  they  were  driven  out.  The  fighting  line  of  the 
two  divisions  kept  abreast,  and  for  two  miles  had 
to  fight  every  inch  of  their  way  from  wall  to  wall, 
from  garden  to  garden,  and  here  and  there  from 
house  to  house,  and  from  lane  to  lane. 

Once  or  twice  the  attack  was  checked  for  a  few 
minutes  by  the  desperate  resistance  of  the  Afghans 
at  the  crossing-places  of  canals  and  in  walled  in- 
closures;  and  again  and  again  the  Ghazis  rushed 
down  upon  the  troops.  The  Third  Sikhs  and  the 
Fifth  Goorkhas  joined  the  fighting  line,  and  step 
by  step  the  ground  was  won  until  the  base  of  the 
hill  was  turned  and  the  attacking  force  saw  in  front 
of  them  the  great  camp  of  Ayoub's  troops.  Up  to 
this  point  the  enemy  had  fought  with  the  greatest 
bravery,  but  a  sudden  panic  seized  them  now  they 
saw  that  their  line  of  retreat  was  threatened  by  our 
cavalry,  for  an  Afghan  always  loses  heart  under 
such  circumstances.  As  if  by  magic  the  defense 
ceased,  and  the  enemy,  horse  and  foot,  abandon- 
ing their  guns  and  throwing   away  their  arms, 


362  FOB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

fled  up  the  Argandab  Yalley.  Everything  was 
abandoned. 

There  was  nothing  more  for  the  infantry  to  do 
but  to  sack  Ayoub's  camp  and  to  park  the  captive 
guns,  thirty  in  number.  The  amount  of  stores  and 
miscellaneous  articles  in  the  camp  was  enormous, 
arms,  ammunition,  commissariat  and  ordnance 
stores,  helmets,  bullock  huts  crammed  with  native 
wearing  apparel,  writing  materials,  Korans,  Eng- 
lish tinned  meats,  fruit,  and  money.  Here,  in  fact, 
was  all  the  baggage  which  the  army  had  brought 
froln  Herat,  together  with  all  the  spoil  which  they 
had  captured  at  Maiwand. 

The  cavalry  took  up  the  pursuit.  Unfortunately 
they  had  met  with  great  difficulties  in  advancing 
through  the  broken  country  in  rear  of  the  infantry. 
Had  they  been  close  at  hand  when  the  latter 
fought  their  way  into  Ayoub's  camp,  very  few  of 
the  fugitives  would  have  escaped.  As  it  was,  they  did 
good  service  in  following  up  the  rout,  and  driving 
the  enemy,  a  dispersed  and  broken  crowd,  into  the 
hills.  To  the  fury  of  the  men,  they  found  in  Ayoub's 
camp  the  body  of  Lieutenant  Maclaine,  who  had 
been  taken  prisoner  at  Maiwand,  and  who  was  bar- 
barously murdered  a  few  minutes  before  the  arrival 
of  the  English  troops.  The  battle  cost  the  lives  of 
three  officers :    Lieutenant-Colonel  Brownlow,  com- 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAMR  363 

manding  the  Seventy -second  Highlanders ;  Captain 
Frome,  of  the  same  regiment ;  and  Captain  Straton, 
second  battalion  of  the  Twenty-second.  Eleven 
officers  were  wounded,  forty-six  men  were  killed 
and  two  hundred  and  two  wounded. 

The  enemy  left  twelve  hundred  dead  on  the  field. 
Ayoub's  regular  regiments  scarcely  fired  a  shot,  and 
the  British  advance  had  been  opposed  entirel}'^  by 
the  irregulars  and  Ghazis,  the  regular  regiments  hav- 
ing been  drawn  up  behind  the  Pir-Paimal  Pass,  by 
which  they  expected  our  main  attack  to  be  made, 
a  delusion  which  was  kept  up  by  our  heavy  fire 
from  early  morning  upon  the  Afghan  guns  on  the 
summit  of  the  pass.  When  our  troops  appeared 
round  the  corner  of  the  spur  upon  their  flank 
they  lost  heart  at  once,  and.  for  the  most  part, 
throwing  away  their  arms,  joined  the  body  of 
fugitives. 

"  It  would  have  been  hard  work,  sir,"  Will  Gale 
said  to  Colonel  Kipon  as  they  rode  forward  in  rear 
of  the  fighting  brigade,  "  to  have  taken  this  posi- 
tion with  the  Candahar  force  alone." 

"  It  could  not  have  been  done,"  Colonel  Eipon 
replied ;  "  but  no  one  would  have  dreamed  of  at- 
tempting it.  The  Afghans  say  that  the  force  which 
Roberts  brought  down  from  Cabul  was  so  large 
that  they  stood  on  the  defensive,  but  they  would 


364  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

have  ventured  to  attack  us  bad  we  sallied  out  and 
offered  battle  on  the  level  plain  round  the  city. 
Then  I  have  no  doubt  we  could  have  beaten  them. 
However,  all  is  well  that  ends  well.  Roberts  has 
come  up  in  time,  and  has  cotnpletel}'^  defeated  the 
enemy ;  still  it  would  have  been  more  satisfactory 
had  we  retrieved  Maiwand  by  thrashing  him  single- 
handed.  Well,  I  suppose  this  is  the  end  of  the 
Afghan  war.  We  have  beaten  Ayoub,  I  hope  so 
effectually  that  Abdul-Rahman  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  dealing  with  him  in  future;  and  if  he  really 
means  the  professions  of  friendship  which  he  has 
made  us,  we  may  hope  for  peace  for  some  time. 
Probably  the  next  time  we  have  to  fight  in  this 
country  it  will  be  against  the  Russians  and  Afghans 
united.  There  are  men  in  England  who  persist  in 
shutting  their  eyes  to  the  certain  consequences  of 
the  Russian  advance  toward  the  northern  frontier 
of  Afghanistan ;  but  the  time  will  come  when  Eng- 
land will  have  to  rue  bitterly  the  infatuation  and 
folly  of  her  rulers.  When  that  day  arrives,  she  will 
have  to  make  such  an  effort  to  hold  her  own  as  she 
has  never  had  to  do  since  the  days  when  she  stood 
alone  in  arms  against  Europe." 

Upon  the  following  day  Will  paid  a  visit  to  his 
friends  in  the  Rangers. 

"  So  you  got  through  Maiwand  safely  !"  the  colo- 


FOR  ifAME  AND  FAME.  365 

nel  said.  "  Upon  my  word  I  begin  to  think  that 
you  have  a  charmed  life.  I  hear  one  of  your  cap- 
tains died  last  night.  That  gives  you  your  step, 
does  it  not  V 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  are  the  luckiest  young  dog  I  ever  heard  of. 
You  got  your  commission  within  a  year  of  enlist- 
ing ;  and  now  by  an  extraordinary  fatality  your 
regiment  is  almost  annihilated,  and  you  mount  up 
by  death  steps  to  a  captain's  rank  nine  months 
after  the  date  of  your  gazette.  In  any  other  regi- 
ment in  the  service  you  would  have  been  lucky  if 
you  had  got  three  or  four  steps  by  this  time." 

"  I  am  fortunate  indeed,  sir,"  Will  said.  "  I  can 
scarcely  believe  it  myself." 

"Ah!  whom  do  I  see  here?"  the  colonel  ex- 
claimed as  a  mounted  officer  rode  through  the 
camp.  "  My  old  friend  Ripon  !  Ah  !  Ripon,  how 
are  you  ?" 

The  colonel  reined  in  his  horse,  and  the  two  offi- 
cers, who  had  not  met  for  some  years,  entered  into 
a  warm  conversation,  while  Will  strolled  away  to 
talk  to  some  of  the  younger  officers,  who  congratu- 
lated him  most  heartily  on  the  luck  which  had  in  a 
few  months  taken  him  over  their  heads. 

In  the  afternoon  Will  received  a  note  from  Colo- 
nel Ripon  asking  him  to  dine  with  him,  as  Colonel 


366  ^OB  NAME  AND  FAME. 

Shepherd  was  going  to  do  so.  Will  replied  that  he 
would  gladly  dine,  but  must  be  excused  for  a  time 
afterward,  as  he  was  on  duty  and  would  have  to  go 
the  rounds  in  the  evening.  There  were  three  or 
four  other  officers  at  dinner,  as  Colonel  Ripon  had 
many  friends  in  the  relieving  column.  When  din- 
ner was  over.  Will  made  his  excuses  and  left,  prom- 
ising to  look  in  again  in  a  couple  of  hours  when  he 
had  finished  his  rounds.  Soon  afterward  the  other 
young  ofiicers  left;  Colonel  Shepherd  only  remained. 

"  That  is  a  singularly  fine  young  fellow — young 
Gale,  I  mean,"  Colonel  Shepherd  said,  "and  a 
singularly  fortunate  one.  I  feel  quite  proud  of  him. 
It  was  upon  my  advice  that  he  enlisted  ;  but  if  any 
one  had  told  me  at  the  time  that  he  would  be  a  cap- 
tain in  two  years  I  should  have  said  that  it  was  ab- 
solutely impossible." 

"  Yes,"  Colonel  Ripon  replied,  "  his  luck  has  been 
marvelous;  but  if  ever  a  fellow  deserved  it,  he  did. 
I  have  a  very  warm  liking,  I  may  say  an  affection, 
for  him.  He  saved  my  life  when  I  was  attacked  by 
some  Ghazis  here,  and  must  have  been  killed  had  it 
not  been  for  his  promptness  and  coolness.  He  was 
wounded  too,  and  wx  were  nursed  together  here. 
Since  then  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  him,  and  the 
more  I  see  him  the  more  I  like  him.  Do  you  know 
anything  of  him  previous  to  the  time  of  his  enlist- 


POR  NAME  AND  FAMIS.  367 

ing  ?  You  told  me  he  joined  your  regiment  on  the 
day  when  it  arrived  at  Calcutta.  I  know  nothing 
of  his  history  before  that.  The  subject  never  hap- 
pened to  occur  in  conversation,  and  it  was  one  upon 
which  I  naturally  should  have  felt  a  delicacy  in  ask- 
ing any  questions,  though  I  have  sometimes  won- 
dered in  my  own  mind  how  he  came  to  be  penniless 
in  Calcutta,  as  I  suppose  he  must  have  been  to  have 
enlisted.  Did  you  happen  to  hear  anything  about 
it?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  Colonel  Shepherd  answered. 
"  Curiously  enough  he  was  by  no  means  penniless, 
as  he  had  just  received  £100  reward  for  the  services 
he  had  rendered  in  preventing  a  ship  from  being 
captured  by  the  Malays.  I  happened  to  meet  its 
captain  on  shore  the  day  I  landed,  and  heard  from 
him  the  story  of  the  affair,  which  was  as  follows,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  recollect." 

Colonel  Shepherd  then  related  to  his  friend  the 
story  of  the  manner  in  which  the  brig,  when  chased 
by  Malays,  was  saved  by  being  brought  into  the 
reef  by  Will.  "  Naturally,"  he  went  on,  "  I  was 
greatly  interested  in  the  story,  and  expressing  a 
wish  to  see  the  young  fellow,  he  was  brought  off 
that  evening  after  mess  to  the  Euphrates,  and  told 
us  how  he  had  been  Avrecked  on  the  island  in  a 
Dutch  ship,  from  which  only  he  and  a  companion 


368  poll  NAM^  AND  PAMS. 

were  saved.  I  was  so  struck  with  his  conduct,  and 
I  may  say  by  his  appearance  and  manner,  that  I 
took  him  aside  into  my  own  cabin  and  learned  from 
him  the  full  particulars  of  his  story.  I  don't  think 
any  one  else  knows  it,  for  when  he  expressed  his 
willingness  to  take  my  advice  and  enlist  I  told  him 
that  he  had  better  say  nothing  about  his  past.  His 
manner  was  so  good  that  I  thought  he  would  pass 
well  as  some  gentleman's  son  who  had  got  into  a 
scrape,  and  as  I  hoped  that  the  time  might  come 
when  he  might  step  upward,  it  was  perhaps  better 
that  it  should  not  be  known  what  was  his  origin." 

"  But  what  was  his  origin,  Shepherd  ?  I  confess 
you  surprise  me.  for  I  have  alwaj'^s  had  an  idea  that 
he  was  a  man  of  good  family,  although  in  some 
strange  way  his  education  had  been  neglected,  for 
in  fact  he  told  me  one  day  that  he  was  absolutely 
ignorant  of  Latin." 

""Well,  Kipon,  as  you  are  a  friend  of  the  young 
fellow%  and  I  know  it  will  go  no  further,  I  w^ill  tell 
3^ou  the  facts  of  the  case.  He  was  brought  up  in  a 
workhouse,  was  apprenticed  to  a  Yarmouth  smack- 
man,  and  the  boat  being  run  down  in  a  gale  bj'^  a 
Dutch  troop-ship,  to  which  he  managed  to  cling  as 
the  smack  sank,  he  was  carried  in  her  to  Java. 
On  her  voyage  thence  to  China  he  was  wrecked  on 
the  island  I  spoke  of." 


J^OR  NAMJi!  AND  FA  }fE.  3B9 

"  You  astound  rae,"  Colonel  Ripon  said,  "  abso- 
lutely astound  me.  I  could  have  sworn  that  he  was  a 
gentleman  by  birth.  Xot,  mind  you,  that  I  like  or 
esteem  him  one  iota  the  less  for  what  you  tell  me. 
Indeed,  on  the  contrary,  for  there  is  all  the  more 
merit  in  his  having  made  his  way  alone.  Still  you 
astonish  me.  They  tell  me,"  he  said  with  a  smile, 
"  that  he  is  wonderfully  like  me ;  but  strangely 
enough  he  reminds  me  rather  of  my  wife.  You  re- 
member her,  Shepherd,  for  you  Avere  stationed  at 
Meerut  at  the  time  I  married  her  there  ?" 

Colonel  Shepherd  nodded,  and  for  a  few  minutes 
the  two  friends  sat  silent,  thinking  over  the  memo- 
ries which  the  words  had  evoked. 

"  Strange,  is  it  not,"  Colonel  Ripon  went  on, 
arousing  himself,  "  that  the  child  of  some  pauper 
parents  should  have  a  resemblance,  however  dis- 
tant, to  me  and  my  wife  ?" 

"  Curiously  enough,"  Colonel  Shepherd  said,  "  the 
boy  was  not  born  of  pauper  parents ;  he  was  left  at 
the  door  of  the  workhouse  at  Ely  by  a  tramp,  whose 
body  was  found  next  morning  in  one  of  the  ditches. 
It  was  a  stormy  night,  and  she  had  no  doubt  lost 
her  way  after  leaving  the  child.  That  was  Avhy 
they  called  him  William  G-ale.  Whj'',  what  is  the 
matter,  Ripon  ?     Good  heavens,  are  you  ill  ?" 

Colonel   Shepherd's  surprise   was  natural.     The 


370  "FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

old  officer  sat  rigid  in  his  chair  with  his  eyes  open 
and  staring  at  his  friend,  and  yet  apparently  without 
seeing  him.  The  color  in  his  face  had  faded  away, 
and  even  through  the  deep  bronze  of  the  Indian  sun 
its  pallor  was  visible.  Colonel  Shepherd  rose  in 
great  alarm  and  was  about  to  call  for  assistance, 
when  his  friend, -with  a  slight  motion  of  his  hand, 
motioned  to  him  to  abstain. 

"  How  old  is  he  ?"  came  presently  in  a  strange 
tone  from  his  lips. 

"  How  old  is  who  ?"  Colonel  Shepherd  asked  in 
surprise.  "  Oh,  you  mean  Gale !  He  is  not  nine- 
teen yet,  though  he  looks  four  or  five  years  older. 
He  was  under  seventeen  when  he  enlisted,  and  I 
rather  strained  a  point  to  get  him  in  by  hinting 
that,  when  he  was  asked  his  age,  he  had  better  say 
under  nineteen.  So  he  was  entered  as  eighteen, 
but  I  know  he  was  more  than  a  year  younger  than 
that.  But  what  has  that  to  do  with  it,  my  dear  old 
friend  ?     What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?" 

"  I  believe.  Shepherd,"  Colonel  Bipon  said  solemn- 
ly, "  that  he  is  my  son." 

"  Your  son  !"  his  comrade  exclaimed,  astonished. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  he  is  my  son." 

"But  how  on  earth  can  that  be?"  his  friend 
asked.  "Are  you  sure  that  you  know  w'hat  you 
are  saying  ?    Is  your  head  quite  clear,  old  friend  ?" 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  371 

"  My  head  is  clear  enough,"  the  colonel  replied, 
"  although  I  felt  stunned  at  first.  Did  you  never 
hear  of  ray  having  lost  my  child?" 

"No,  indeed,"  Colonel  Shepherd  replied,  more 
and  more  surprised.  For  he  had  at  first  supposed 
that  some  sudden  access  of  fever  or  delirium  had 
seized  his  friend.  "  You  will  remember  that  a  week 
or  two  after  you  were  married  my  regiment  was 
moved  up  to  the  north,  and  we  remained  three 
years  longer  in  India.  When  I  got  back  to  England 
I  heard  that  you  had  lost  your  wife  a  short  time 
before  and  had  returned.  I  remember  our  ships 
crossed  on  the  way.  When  we  met  again  the  con- 
versation never  turned  on  the  past." 

"  I  will  tell  you  the  story,"  the  colonel  said, 
"  and  you  will  see  that  at  any  rate  the  boy  may  be 
my  son,  and  that  being  so  the  double  likeness 
proves  to  me  incontestably  that  he  is.  I  had,  as 
you  know,  been  ill  before  I  left  India.  I  had  not 
been  home  for  fifteen  years,  and  got  two  years' 
leave.  As  you  may  know,  I  had  a  good  fortune 
irrespective  of  the  service,  and  I  took  a  place  called 
Holmwood  Park,  near  Dawlish,  and  as  I  had 
thought  of  retiring  at  the  end  of  my  leave  I  was 
put  on  the  commission  of  the  peace.  My  boy  was 
born  a  few  months  after  I  got  home.  Soon  after  I 
took  the  place  some  gypsy  fellows  broke  into  the 


372  FOIi  NAME  A  ND  FAME. 

poultry-yard  and  stole  some  valuable  chickens 
which  were  great  pets  of  my  wife.  I  chased  them, 
and  finally  brought  home  the  guilt  of  the  theft  to 
one  of  the  men  in  whose  tent  a  lot  of  their  feathers 
were  found.  He  had  been  previously  convicted, 
and  was  sentenced  to  a  terra  of  penal  servitude. 
Before  the  trial  his  wife,  also  a  gypsy,  called  upon 
me  and  begged  me  not  to  appear  against  her  hus- 
band. This  of  course  was  out  of  the  question,  as  he 
had  already  been  sent  to  trial.  When  she  found 
that  her  entreaties  were  useless,  she  in  the  most 
vindictive  tone  told  me  that  I  should  repent  it,  and 
she  certainly  spoke  as  if  she  meant  it.  I  heard 
nothing  more  of  the  matter  until  the  boy  was  six- 
teen months  old ;  then  he  disappeared ;  he  was 
stolen  from  the  garden,  A  clew  was  left,  evidently 
that  I  might  know  from  whom  the  blow  came. 
The  gypsy  had  been  convicted  partly  on  the  evi- 
dence of  the  feathers,  but  principally  from  the  fact 
that  the  boot  which  he  had  on  had  half  the  iron  on 
the  heel  broken  off,  and  this  tallied  exactly  with 
some  marks  in  my  fowl-house.  An  hour  after  the 
child  was  gone  we  found  in  the  center  of  the  drive 
in  the  park  a  boot,  conspicuously  placed  there  to 
catch  the  eye,  and  this  boot  I  recognized  by  the 
broken  iron  as  that  which  had  transported  the 
gypsy.     That   the  woman   had  stolen  the  child  1 


FOR  NAME  ANT)  FAME.  S^S 

had  not  the  least  doubt ;  but  neither  of  her  nor  it 
could  I  ever  gain  the  slightest  clew.  I  advertised 
in  ever}'^  paper  in  the  kingdom,  I  offered  a  reward 
of  £1,000,  and  I  believe  the  police  searched  every 
gypsy  encampment  in  England,  but  without  suc- 
cess. My  wife  had  never  been  strong,  and  from 
that  day  she  gradually  sank.  As  long  as  there  was 
hope  she  kept  up  for  a  time.  I  hoped  all  would  go 
well,  but  three  months  afterward  she  faded  rapid- 
ly, and  ere  six  months  had  passed  from  the  loss  of 
the  child  I  buried  her  and  came  straight  out  to 
India.  I  went  home  once  for  two  or  three  months 
upon  business  connected  with  my  property  there 
some  seven  years  since.  That  was  when  we  last 
met,  you  know,  at  the  club.  With  that  exception  I 
have  remained  here  ever  since." 

"  The  trouble  will  be,  I  fear,"  Colonel  Shepherd 
said,  "  for  you  to  identify  him.  That  vindictive 
gypsy  woman  who  stole  your  child  is  not  likely  to 
have  left  any  marks  on  its  clothing  by  which  it 
might  be  identified  at  any  future  time  and  her  re- 
venge on  you  frustrated." 

" Thank  God  !"  the  colonel  said  earnestly,  "if  it 
be  my  son  he  bears  a  mark  by  which  I  shall  know 
him.  That  was  one  of  his  poor  mother's  greatest 
comforts.  The  child  was  born  with  an  ugly  blood- 
mark  on  its  neck.    It  used  to  bother  my  wife  a  good 


374  FOR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

deal,  and  she  consulted  several  surgeons  whether  it 
could  not  be  removed,  but  they  all  said  no,  not  with- 
out completely  cutting  out  the  flesh ;  and  this,  of 
course,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  After  the  child 
was  lost  I  remember,  as  well  as  if  it  had  been  spoken 
to-day,  my  wife  saying,  'How  strange  are  God's 
"ways  !  I  was  foolish  enough  to  fret  over  that  mark 
on  the  darling's  neck,  and  now  the  thought  of  it  is 
ray  greatest  comfort ;  and  if  it  shall  be  God's  will 
that  years  shall  pass  away  before  we  find  him,  there 
is  a  sign  by  which  we  shall  always  know  him.  No 
other  child  can  be  palmed  off  upon  us  as  our  own. 
When  we  find  Tom  we  shall  know  him,  hovvever 
changed  he  may  be.'  Listen,  Shepherd  !  that  is  his 
step  on  the  stairs.  May  God  grant  that  he  prove 
to  be  my  son  !" 

"Be  calm,  old  friend,"  Colonel  Shepherd  said. 
"  I  will  speak  to  him," 

The  door  opened  and  Will  entered. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  not  gone,  colonel — I  was 
afraid  you  might  have  left,  for  I  have  been  longer 
than  I  expected.  I  just  heard  the  news  that  the 
Sixty-sixth  are  in  orders  this  evening  to  march  the 
day  after  to-morrow  fcr  Kurrachee  to  sail  for  Eng- 
land, where  we  are  to  be  reorganized  again." 

"  Gale,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  a  rather  curious 
thing.  Will  you  do  it  without  asking  why  ?"  Colo- 
nel Shepherd  said  quietly. 


FOR  NA  ME  AND  FAME.  3  75 

"  Certainly,  colonel,  if  it  is  in  ray  power,"  Will 
said,  somewhat  surprised. 

"  Will  you  take  off  your  patrol  jacket,  open  your 
shirt,  and  turn  it  well  down  at  the  neck  ?" 

For  a  moment  Will  looked  astounded  at  this  re- 
quest. He  saw  by  the  tone  in  which  it  was  made 
that  it  was  seriously  uttered,  and  without  hesitation 
he  began  to  unhook  his  patrol  jacket.  As  he  did 
so  his  eye  fell  upon  Colonel  Ripon's  face,  and  the 
intense  anxiety  and  emotion  that  it  expressed  caused 
him  to  pause  for  a  moment.  Something  extraordi- 
nary hung  on  what  he  had  been  asked  to  do.  All 
sorts  of  strange  thoughts  flashed  through  his  brain. 
Hundreds  of  times  in  his  life  he  had  said  to  himself 
that  if  ever  he  discovered  his  parents  it  would  be 
by  means  of  this  mark  upon  his  neck  which  he  was 
now  asked  to  expose.  The  many  remarks  which 
had  been  made  of  his  likeness  to  Colonel  Ripon 
flashed  across  his  mind,  and  it  was  with  an  emotion 
scarcely  inferior  to  that  of  the  old  oflScer  that  he 
opened  his  shirt  and  turned  down  the  collar.  The 
sight  was  conclusive.  Colonel  Ripon  held  out  his 
arms  with  a  cry  of 

"  My  son !  my  son !" 

Bewildered  and  delighted.  Will  felt  himself 
pressed  to  the  heart  of  the  man  whom  he  liked  and 
esteemed  beyond  all  others. 


376  P^>Ji  NAyfE  AXD  FAME. 

With  a  word  of  the  heartiest  congratulation  Col- 
onel Shepherd  left  the  father  and  son  together  to 
exchange  confidences  and  to  tell  to  each  other 
their  respective  stories  and  to  realize  the  great  hap- 
piness which  had  befallen  them  both.  Their  de- 
light was  without  a  single  cloud,  save  that  which 
passed  for  a  moment  through  Colonel  Ripon's  mind 
as  he  thought  how  his  wife  would  have  rejoiced  had 
she  lived  to  see  that  day. 

His  joy  was  in  some  respects  even  greater  than 
that  of  his  son.  The  latter  had  always  pictured  to 
himself  that  if  he  ever  discovered  his  father  he 
should  find  him  all  that  was  good ;  but  the  colonel 
had  for  many  years  not  only  given  up  all  hope  of 
ever  finding  his  son,  but  almost  everv  desire  to  do  so. 
He  had  thought  that  if  still  alive  he  must  be  a 
gypsy  vagabond,  a  poacher,  a  liar,  a  thief,  like 
those  among  whom  he  would  have  been  brouo:ht 
up.  From  such  a  discover}^  no  happiness  could  be 
looked  for — only  annoyance,  humiliation,  and  trou- 
ble. To  find  his  son,  then,  all  that  he  could  wish 
for — a  gentleman,  a  most  promising  young  oflBcer, 
the  man,  indeed,  to  whom  he  had  been  so  specially  at- 
tracted— was  a  joy  altogether  unhoped  and  unlooked 
for.  Morning  had  broken  before  the  newly  united 
father  and  son  had  done  their  long  and  happy  t«'dk, 
and  they  separated  only  to  take  a  bath  to  prepare 
them  for  the  day's  work. 


FfjR  NAJfK  ASI)  FAME.  Ztl 

The  astonishmeDt  of  erery  (»e  was  anbooBded 
when  Colonel  Ripon  annoanced  on  the  fc^loirii^ 
morning  that  in  Captain  Gale,  of  the  Sixtr-axth, 
who  it  was  known  had  risen  from  the  ranks,  he  had 
discovered  a  son  that  had  be^i  stolen  from  him  as  a 
child.  So  one  entertained  a  doabt  for  an  instaBt 
that  any  mistake  had  arisen,  for  the  Uk&teaB  be- 
tween the  two  men  as  ther  strode  down  the  stxeei 
together  on  their  way  to  General  Roberts'  ^oartos 
was  so  marked  that — now  that  men  knev  the  rda- 
tionsbip — none  doabted  for  a  mom^it  that  tbej 
were  indeed  father  and  aon. 

The  warmest  coggratafatioa»  poared  in  opcm 
them  from  all  sides,  and  frme  maoe  more  heartflj 
than  from  the  geD^ai,  wbo  was  vaore  than  extr 
pleased  that  he  had  been  the  means  of  WilTs  ob- 
taining his  commission  from  the  ranks.  The  same 
day  Colonel  Ripon  sent  off,  by  a  moonted  »«aa^^*- 
ger  carrying  dispatches,  a  tel^^am  to  be  amt  &cnii 
the  nearest  station  c^  the  flying  line,  widA  the  eet- 
gineers  advancing  with  C<doDel.  Phayre's  foree  bad 
already  carried  as  far  as  the  Kojak  PasK,  to  the 
government  of  India,  asking  leave  to  go  hc»w  at 
once  on  the  most  urgent  and  pressmsT  fxmflj  ba»- 
ness. 

Yossoofs  grief  wh^i  be  beard,  that  bis  master 
was  going  to  leave  for  Kngfamd  was  very  great.    At 


378  ^OR  NAME  AND  FAME. 

first  he  begged  that  he  might  accompany  him ;  but 
Will  pointed  out  that,  much  as  he  would  like  to 
have  him  with  him,  his  position  in  England  Avould 
be  an  uncomfortable  one,  He  would  meet  with  no 
one  with  whom  he  could  converse,  and  would  after 
a  time  long  for  his  own  country  again.  Yossouf 
^nelded  to  his  reasoning,  and  the  picture  which  \V'ill 
drew  of  his  own  loneliness  when  in  Cabul  separated 
from  all  his  own  people  aided  greatly  in  enforcing 
his  arguments  on  his  mind.  He  said,  however,  that 
at  any  rate  he  would  not  return  to  Afghanistan  at 
present. 

"  It  will  be  long,"  he  said,  "  before  things  settle 
down  there,  and  it  will  be  useless  for  me  to  put  my 
money  into  a  herd  which  might  be  driven  off  by 
plunderers  the  next  week.  Besides,  at  present  the 
feeling  against  the  English  will  be  strong,  so  many 
have  lost  men  of  their  family  in  the  fighting.  If  I 
returned  I  should  be  a  marked  man.  It  is  known 
that  I  threw  in  my  lot  with  the  English,  and  it  will 
be  cast  in  my  teeth  even  if  no  worse  came  of  it. 
No,  I  will  enlist  in  the  Guides ;  I  shall  be  at  home 
with  them,  for  most  of  them  belong  to  the  Afghan 
tribes.  I  am  young  yet,  not  fully  a  man,  and  I  have 
TOij  life  before  me.  Some  day,  perhaps,  if  things 
are  quiet  and  prosperous  at  home,  J  will  go  back  and 
end  my  days  there," 


FOB  NAME  AND  FAME  379 

So  it  was  arranged.  One  of  the  oflBcers  of  the 
Guides  had  accompanied  General  Roberts  as  inter- 
preter, and  Will  handed  over  Yossouf  tohira,  telling 
him  how  well  the  lad  had  served  him.  The  officer 
promised  to  enroll  him  in  the  corps  as  soon  as  he 
rejoined  it,  and  also  that  he  would  not  fail  to  report 
his  conduct  to  the  colonel  and  to  obtain  his  promo 
tion  to  the  rank  of  a  native  officer  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. From  Will  Yossouf  would  accept  nothing 
except  his  revolver  as  a  keepsake,  but  Colonel  Ripon 
insisted  upon  his  taking  from  him  a  present  which 
would  make  him  a  rich  man  when  he  chose  to  return 
to  his  native  country. 


380  ^S  NAME  AND  FAME. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

AT     HOME     AT     LAST. 

The  next  day  Colonel  Ripon  started  with  the 
SiitT-sixth,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  day's  march 
met  a  messenger,  who,  among  other  dispatches, 
carried  a  telegram  granting  him  at  once  the  leave 
he  asked  for,  and  which  indeed  had  been  due  had 
he  asked  for  it  many  years  before.  His  intention 
was  to  accompany-  the  Sixty-sixth  to  Kurrachee  and 
to  sail  with  it  to  England.  This  intention  was 
carried  out,  ^nd  the  remnant  of  the  regiment  safely 
reached  England, 

One  of  Colonel  Ripon's  first  steps  was  to  accom- 
pany Will,  or,  as  he  ought  now  to  be  called,  Tom, 
to  the  Horse  Guards,  and  to  procure  an  insertion  in 
the  G(utette  stating  that  Captain  'William  Gale,  of 
the  Sixtj'^-sixth,  would  henceforth  be  known  by  his 
true  and  proper  name  of  Thomas  Ripon.  The 
colonel  purchased  a  fine  estate  in  Somersetshire, 
and  retiring  from  the  service  settled  down  there. 
There  was  a  considerable  discussion  between  father 
and  son  as  to  whether  the  latter  should  remain  in 


FOR  NAME  AND  FAME.  381 

the  army.  Colonel  Ripon  was  unwilling  that  his 
son  should  relinquish  a  profession  of  which  he  was 
fond,  and  in  which,  from  his  early  promotion,  he 
had  every  chance  of  obtaining  high  rank  and  honor ; 
but  Tom,  who  saw  how  great  a  pleasure  his  society 
was  to  his  father,  and  how  lonely  the  tatter's  life 
would  be  without  him,  was  resolute  in  his  determi- 
nation to  quit  the  service.  He  had  already,  as  he 
said,  passed  through  a  far  greater  share  of  adven- 
ture than  usually  falls  to  one  man's  lot,  and  the 
colonel's  property  was  so  large  that  there  was  not 
the  slightest  occasion  for  him  to  continue  in  the 
service. 

N^ot  long  after  his  return  to  England  Will  paid  a 
visit  to  Ely  workhouse.  He  was  accompanied  by 
the  colonel,  and  the  two  men  walked  together  up  to 
the  gate  of  the  workhouse.  He  rang  at  the  bell, 
and  a  woman  opened  the  door.  She  courtesied  at 
seeing  two  tall,  soldier-like  gentlemen  before  her. 

"  Your  name  is  Mrs.  Dickson,  I  think  ?"  the 
younger  said.  The  woman  gave  a  violent  start  and 
gazed  earnestly  at  him. 

"  It  is  Will  Gale  ."'  she  exclaimed,  drawing  back 
a  step.     "  They  said  you  were  dead  years  ago." 

"  No,  I  am  very  much  alive,  Mrs.  Dickson,  and 
glad,  most  glad,  to  see  an  old  friend  again." 

"  Good  Lord !"  the  woman  exclaimed,  "  it  is  the 


385i  FOR  NAME  AND  FAMM. 

boy  himself,  sure  enough  ;"  and  for  a  moment  she 
seemed  as  if  she  would  have  rushed  into  his  arms, 
and  then  she  drew  back,  abashed  at  his  appearance. 
Tom,  however,  held  out  his  arms,  and  the  woman 
fell  sobbing  into  them. 

"  Why,  you  did  not  think  so  badly  of  me,"  he 
said,  "  as  to  think  that  I  should  forget  the  woman 
who  was  a  mother  to  me.  Father,"  he  said — "  for 
I  have  found  my  real  father,  Mrs.  Dickson,  as  you 
always  said  I  should  some  day — it  is  to  this  good 
woman  that  I  owe  what  I  am.  But  for  her  I  might 
now  be  a  laboring  man  ;  but  it  is  to  her  kindness,  to. 
her  good  advice,  to  her  lessons,  that  I  owe  every- 
thing. It  was  she  who  taught  me  that  I  should  so 
behave  that  if  my  parents  ever  found  me  they 
should  have  no  cause  to  be  ashamed  of  me.  She 
was  indeed  as  a  mother  to  me,  and  this  lodge  was  my 
home  rather  than  the  workhouse  inside.  Ah  !  and 
here  is  Sam  I" 

Sam  Dickson,  coming  out  at  this  moment,  stood 
in  open-mouthed  astonishment  at  seeing  his  wife 
standing  with  her  hand  in  that  of  a  gentleman. 

"  Oh,  Sam !  who  do  you  think  this  is  ?"  Sam  made 
no  reply,  but  stared  at  Tom  with  all  his  eyes. 

"  If  it  warn't  that  he  be  drowned  and  dead  long 
ago,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  should  say  it  was  Will 
Gale   growed   up   and  got  to  be  a  gentleman.     I 


FOn  NAME  AND  FAME.  3S3 

shouldn't  ha'  knowed  him  at  first,  but  when  he 
smiles  I  don't  think  as  how  I  can  be  far  wrong." 

"  You  are  right,  Sam.  I  am  the  boy  you  and 
your  wife  were  so  kind  to  from  the  time  3'^ou  picked 
him  up  just  where  we  are  standing,  and  whom  you 
last  handed  over  to  go  aboard  a  smack  at  Yarmouth. 
She  was,  as  you  have  heard,  run  down  in  the  North 
Sea,  but  I  was  saved  in  the  ship  which  ran  over  her 
and  was  taken  out  to  the  East.  There,  after  being 
wrecked  again,  and  going  through  lots  of  adven- 
tures, I  went  to  India,  enlisted  there,  and  fought 
through  the  Afghan  war.  I  am  a  captain  now,  and 
my  name  is  no  longer  Will  Gale,  but  Tom  Ripon, 
for  I  have  found  my  real  father,  this  gentleman, 
Colonel  Ripon." 

"  Who  feels,"  Colonel  Ripon  went  on,  "  how  much 
he  and  his  son  owe  to  your  kindness  and  that  of 
your  good  wife  here,  and  who,  as  you  will  find,  is 
not  ungrateful.  I  have  just  bought  an  estate  down 
in  Somersetshire,  and  I  mean  to  install  you  and 
your  wife  in  a  pretty  lodge  at  the  gates,  with 
enough  to  live  upon  comfortably  to  the  end  of  your 
lives." 

Mrs.  Dickson  cried  with  joy  as  Colonel  Ripon  en- 
tered into  details  of  what  he  intended  to  do  for 
them,  and  Sam,  although,  as  was  his  way,  much 
less  demonstrative  in  his  gladness,  was  yet  greatly 


384  FOR  NAME  AND  t'AME. 

delighted.  There  was  a  good  garden  to  the  lodge  ; 
they  were  to  have  the  keep  of  a  cow,  and  thirty 
shillings  per  week  as  long  as  they  lived.  Before 
the  colonel  left,  Sam  Dickson's  resignation  of  his 
post  was  handed  in  to  the  master. 

The  colonel  told  them  that  at  the  end  of  the 
month,  when  Sam's  notice  would  expire,  they  were 
to  sell  off  what  furniture  they  had,  as  it  would  cost 
more  to  convey  it  so  long  a  distance  than  it  was 
worth,  and  he  would  take  care  that  they  should  find 
everything  comfortable  and  ready  for  occupation 
at  the  lodge  upon  their  arrival.  Tom  called  upon 
the  master  and  matron  and  schoolmaster,  and 
thanked  all  for  the  kindness  that  they  had  shown 
him  when  a  boy ;  and  Colonel  Ripon  left  a  check 
with  the  master  to  be  expended  in  tobacco,  tea,  and 
sugar  for  the  aged  inmates  of  the  house. 

No  words  can  express  the  delight  of  Sam  Dick- 
son and  his  wife  when,  a  month  later,  they  arrived 
at  their  new  home.  Tom  had  spared  no  trouble  in 
seeing  that  it  was  comfortably  and  cozily  furnished. 
The  garden  had  been  thoroughly  dug  up  and 
planted,  and  JVIrs.  Dickson  could  scarcely  believe 
that  she  was  the  mistress  of  so  pleasant  a  home. 
Tom  was  forgetful  of  none  of  his  old  friends,  and 
he  wrote  to  an  address  which  Hans,  his  companion 
among  the  Malays,  had  given  him  when  they  sepa- 


POR  NAME  ANT)  FAME.  386 

i'ated,  and  forwarded  to  him  a  handsome  watch  as 
a  souvenir  of  his  comrade. 

There  is  no  more  to  be  told.  Captain  Ripon,  still 
a  very  young  man,  is  living  withi  his  father  the 
colonel.  He  is  one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  his 
county,  and  there  is  some  talk  of  his  standing  for 
one  of  its  boroughs  at  the  next  election,  and  it  is 
rumored  that  he  is  likely,  ere  long,  to  bring  home  a 
lady  who  will  be  the  future  mistress  of  Burnham 
Park. 

He  is  quite  content  that  he  has  left  the  army, 
though  he  fidgeted  a  little  while  the  Egyptian 
war  was  going  on,  and  co.uld  not  help  feeling  a  lit- 
tle regret  that  he  did  not  take  part  in  the  storming 
of  Tel-el-Kebir. 


THB  BND. 


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The  boy,  brought  up  by  a  Glasgow  bailie,  is  a-rested  for  aiding  a 
Jacobite  agent,  escapes,  is  wrecked  on  the  French  coast,  reaches 
Paris,  and  serves  with  the  French  army  at  Dettingen.  He  kills 
his  father's  foe  in  a  duel,  and  escaping  to  the  coast,  shares  the 
adventures  of  Prince  Charlie,  but  finally  settles  happily  in  Scot- 
land, 

"  Ronald,  the  hero,  is  very  like  the  hero  of  '  Quentin  Durward.'  The  Iad''3 
journey  across  France,  and  his  hairbreadth  escapes,  make  up  as  good  a  nar- 
rative of  the  kind  as  we  have  ever  read.  For  freshness  of  treatment  and 
variety  of  incident  Mr.  Henty  has  surpassed  himself." — Spectator. 

With  Clive  in  India ;  or,  the  Beginnings  of  an  Empire.  By 
G.  A.  Hbnty.  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  GORDON 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  period  between  the  landing  of  Clive  as  a  young  writer  in 
India  and  the  close  of  his  career  was  critical  and  eventful  in  the 
extreme.  At  its  commencement  the  English  were  traders  existing 
on  sufferance  of  the  native  princes.  At  its  close  they  were  masters 
of  Bengal  and  of  the  greater  part  of  Southern  India.  The  author 
has  given  a  tuli  and  accurate  account  of  the  events  of  that  stirring 
time,  and  battles  and  sieges  follow  each  other  in  rapid  succession, 
while  he  combines  with  his  narrative  a  tale  of  daring  and  adven- 
ture, which  gives  a  lifelike  interest  to  the  volume. 

"  He  has  taken  a  period  of  Indian  history  of  the  most  vital  importance, 
and  he  has  embroidered  on  the  historical  facts  a  story  which  of  itself  is  deeply 
interesting.  Young  i>eople  assuredly  will  be  delighted  with  the  volume.— 
Scotstnan. 

The  Lion  of  the  North  :  A  Tale  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  the 
Wars  of  Religion.     By  G.  A,  Henty.     With  full-page  Illus- 
trations by  John  Sch6nberg.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
In  this  story  Mr.  Hen'y  gives  the  history  of  the  first  part  of  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.     The  issue  had  its  importance,  which  has  ex- 
tended  to  the  present  day,  as   it   established  religious   freedom 
in  Germany.     The  army  of  the  chivalrous  king    of  Sweden  Was 
largely  composed  of  Scotchmen,  and  among  these  was  the  hero  of 
the  story. 

"  The  tale  is  a  clever  and  instructive  piece  of  history,  and  as  boys  may  >>* 
trusted  to  read  itcon3cientiously,they  can  hardly  fail  to  be  profited."— Time*, 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATION^^ 


The  Dragon  and  the  Raven ;  or,  The  Days  of  King  Alfred.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  C.  J.  Stani- 
LAND,  R.I.     13mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  this  story  the  author  gives  an  account  of  the  fierce  struggle 
between  Saxon  and  Dane  for  supremacy  in  England,  and  presents 
a  vivid  picture  of  the  misery  and  ruin  to  which  the  country  was 
reduced  by  the  ravages  of  the  sea-wolves.  The  hero,  a  young 
Saxon  thane,  takes  part  in  all  the  battles  fought  by  King  Alfred. 
He  is  driven  from  his  home,  takes  to  the  sea  and  resists  the  Danea 
on  their  own  element,  and  being  pursued  by  them  up  the  Seinei 
is  present  at  the  long  and  desperate  siege  of  Paris. 

"  Treated  in  a  manner  most  attractive  to  the  boyish  reader." — AthencBum 

The  Young  Carthaginian :  A  Story  of  the  Times  of  Hannibal 
By  G.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  C.  J.  Stani 
LAND,  R.I.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Boys  reading  the  history  of  the  Punic  Wars  have  seldom  a  keei 
appreciation  of  the  merits  of  the  contest.  That  it  was  at  first  & 
Struggle  for  empire,  and  afterward  for  existence  on  the  part  ot 
Carthage,  that  Hannibal  was  a  great  and  skillful  general,  that  he 
defeated  the  Romans  at  Trebia,  Lake  Trasimenus,  and  Cannae, 
and  all  but  took  Rome,  represents  pretty  nearly  the  sum  total  of 
their  knowledge.  To  let  them  know  more  about  this  momentous 
struggle  for  the  empire  of  the  world  Mr.  Henty  has  written  thia 
story,  which  not  only  gives  in  graphic  style  a  brilliant  descrip- 
tion of  a  most  interesting  period  of  history,  but  is  a  tale  of  ex- 
citing adventure  sure  to  secure  the  interest  of  the  reader. 

"  Well  constructed  and  vividly  told.  From  first  to  last  nothing  stays  the 
interest  of  the  narrative.  It  bears  us  along  as  on  a  Jstream  whose  current 
varies  in  direction,  but  never  loses  its  torce.'^— Saturday  Review. 

In  Freedom's  Cause  :  A  Story  of  Wallace  and  Bruce.  By  G.  A. 
Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne. 
12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  thia  story  the  author  relates  the  stirring  tale  of  the  Scottish 
War  of  Independence.  The  extraordinary  valor  and  personal 
prowess  of  Wallace  and  Bruce  rival  the  deeds  of  the  mythical 
heroes  of  chivalry,  and  indeed  at  one  time  Wallace  was  ranked 
with  these  legendary  personages.  The  researches  of  modern 
historians  have  shown,  however,  that  he  was  a  living,  breathing 
man — and  a  valiant  champion.  The  hero  of  the  tale  fought  under 
both  Wallace  and  Bruce,  and  while  the  strictest  historical  accuracy 
has  been  maintained  with  respect  to  public  events,  the  work  is 
full  of  "hairbreadth  'scapes  "  and  wild  adventure. 

"  It  is  written  in  the  author's  best  style.  Full  of  the  wildest  and  most  re- 
markable achievements,  it  is  a  tale  of  great  interest,  which  a  boy,  once  he  bav 
begun  It,  wUl  not  willingly  put  on  one  side."— TTie  ScKoolmatier. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


With  Lee  in  Virginia:  A  Story  of  the  American  Civil  War.  By 
(jt.  A.  Henty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon 
Browne.    13mo,  doth,  price  $1.00. 

The  story  of  a  young  Virginian  planter,  who,  after  bravely 
proving  his  sympathy  with  the  slaves  of  brutal  masters,  serves 
with  no  less  courage  and  enthusiasm  under  Lee  and  Jackson 
through  the  most  exciting  events  of  the  struggle.  He  has  many 
hairbreadth  escapes,  is  seve'al  times  wounded  and  twice  taken 
prisoner;  but  his  courage  and  readiness  and,  in  two  cases,  the 
devotion  of  a  black  servant  and  of  a  runaway  slave  whom  he  had 
assisted,  bring  him  safely  through  all  difficulties. 

"  One  of  the  best  stories  for  lads  which  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  written.  The 
picture  is  full  of  life  and  color,  and  the  stirring  and  romantic  incidents  are 
skillfully  blended  with  the  personal  Interest  and  charm  of  the  story."— 
Standard. 

By  England's  Aid ;  or.  The  Freeing  of  the  Netherlands  (1585- 
1604).     By  Q.   A.    Henty.     With  full-page   Illustrations  by 
Alfred  Pe.\rse,  and  Maps.     13mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
The  story  of  two  English  lads  who  go  to  Holland  as  pages  in 
the  service  of  one  of  "  the  fighting  Veres."     After  many  adven- 
tures by  sea  and  land,  one  of  the  lads  finds  himself  on  board  a 
Spanish  ship  at  the  time  of  the  defeat  of  the  Armada,  and  escapes 
only  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Corsairs.     He  is  successful  in 
getting  back  to  Spain  under  the  protection  of  a  wealthy  merchant, 
and  regains  his  native  country  after  the  capture  of  Cadiz. 

"  It  is  an  admirable  book  for  youn^ters.  It  overflows  with  stirring  inci- 
dent and  exciting  adventure,  and  the  color  of  the  era  and  of  the  scene  are 
finely  reproduced.  The  illustrations  add  to  its  attractiveness."— Bo«<o» 
Gazette. 

By  Right  of  Conquest ;  or,  With  Cortez  in  Mexico.      By  G.  A. 

Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  S.  Stacey,  and 

Two  Maps.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.50. 

The  conquest  of  Mexico  by  a  small  band  of  resolute  men  under 
the  magnificent  leadership  of  Cortez  is  always  rightly  ranked 
among  the  most  romantic  and  daring  exploits  in  history.  With 
this  as  the  groundwork  of  his  story  Mr.  Henty  has  interwoven  the 
adventures  of  an  English  youth,  Roger  Hawkshaw,  the  sole  sur- 
vivor of  the  good  ship  Swan,  which  had  sailed  from  a  Devon  port 
to  challenge  the  mercantile  supremacy  o!"  the  Spaniards  in  the 
New  World.  He  is  beset  by  many  perils  among  the  natives,  but 
is  saved  by  his  own  judgment  and  strength,  and  by  the  devotion 
of  an  Aztec  princess.  At  last  by  a  ruse  he  obtains  the  protection 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  after  the  fall  of  Mexico  he  succeeds  in  re- 
gaining his  native  shore,  with  a  fortune  and  a  charming  Aztec 
bride. 

" '  By  Right  of  Conquest '  is  the  nearest  approach  to  a  perfectly  successf  a^ 
Uistorical  tale  that  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  pubUsbed."— 4ccKlcmy. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


la  the  IReign  of  Terror :  The  Adventures  of  a  Westminster  B07. 

By  G.  A.  Henty.      With  full-page  Illustrations  by  J.  SchOn- 

BEKG.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

Harry  Sandwith,  a  Westminster  boy,  becomes  a  resident  at  the 
i^hateau  of  a  French  marquis,  and  afti  r  various  adventures  accom. 
yanies  tho  family  to  Paris  at  the  crisis  of  the  Revolution,  Im- 
prisonment and  death  reduce  their  number,  and  the  hero  finds 
himself  beset  by  perils  with  the  three  young  daughters  of  the 
house  iu  his  charge.  After  hairbreadth  escapes  they  reach  Nan- 
tes. There  the  ^irls  are  condemned  to  death  in  the  cofBn--hips, 
but  are  saved  by  the  unfailing  courage  of  their  boy  protector. 

"  Harry  Sandwith,  the  Westminster  boy,  may  fairly  be  said  to  beat  Jlr 
Hentj  's  record.  His  adventures  will  delight  boys  by  the  audacity  and  peril 
they  depict.  .  .  The  story  is  one  of  Mr.  Henty 's  test."— .Vofwrdoj, 
Beviejv. 

With  Wolfe  in  Canada  ;  or.  The  Winning  of  a  Continent.  By 
G.  A.  Henty.  With  full -page  Illustrations  by  Gordon 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

In  the  present  volume  Mr.  Henty  gives  an  account  of  the  strug- 
gle between  Britain  and  France  for  supremacy  in  the  North 
American  continent.  On  the  issue  of  this  war  depended  not  only 
the  destinies  of  North  America,  but  to  a  large  extent  those  of  the 
mother  countries  themselves.  The  fall  of  Quebec  decided  that 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race  should  predominate  in  the  New  World; 
that  Britain,  and  not  France,  should  take  the  lead  among  the 
nations  of  Europe;  and  that  English  and  American  commerce,  the 
English  language,  and  English  literature,  should  spread  right 
round  the  globe. 

"  It  is  not  only  a  lesson  in  history  as  instructively  as  it  is  graphically  told, 
but  also  a  deeply  interesting  and  often  thrilling  tale  of  adventure  and  peril  by 
flood  and  field." — Illustrated  London  News. 

True  to  the  Old  Flag:  A  Tale  of  the  American  War  of  Inde- 
pendence.    By  G.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by 
Gordon  Browne.     13mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
In  this  story  the  author  has  gone  to  the  accounts  of  oflBcers  who 
took  part  in  the  conflict,  and  lads  will  find  that  in  no  war  in  which 
American  and  British  soldiers  have  been  engaged  did  they  behave 
with  greater  courage  and  good  conduct.     The  historical  portion  of 
the  book  being  accompanied  with  numerous  thrilling  adventures 
with  the  redskins  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron,  a  story  of  exciting 
interest  is  interwoven  with   the   general   narrative  and   carried 
through  the  book. 

"  Does  justice  to  the  pluck  and  determination  of  the  British  soldiers  during 
the  unfortunate  struggle  against  American  emancipation.  The  son  of  an 
American  loyalist,  who  remains  true  to  our  flag,  falls  among  the  hostile  red- 
Bkins  in  that  very  Huron  country  which  has  been  endeared  to  us  by  the  ©JC« 
ploits  of  Hawkeye  and  Chingachgook."~27ie  Timet, 


A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


The  Lion  of  St.  Mark :  A  Tale  of  Venice  in  the  Fourteenth 
Century.     By  Q.  A.  Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by 
GOKDON  Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
A  story  of  Venice  at  a  period  when  hei  strength  and  splendor 
were  put  to  the  severest  tests.     The  hero  displays  a  fine  sense  and 
manliness  which  carry  him  safely  through  an  atmosphere  of  in- 
trigue, crime,  and  bloodshed.     He  contributes  largely  to  the  vic- 
tories of  the  Venetians  at  Porto  d'Anzo  and  Cliioggia,  and  finally 
wins  the  hand  of  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  chief  men  of  Venice. 

"  Every  boy  should  read  '  The  Lion  of  St.  Ufark.'  Mr.  Henry  has  never  prO' 
duced  a  story  more  dehghtful,  more  wholesome,  or  more  vivacious." — Satur- 
day Review. 

A  Final  Reckoning^:  A  Tale  of  Bush  Life  in  Australia.  By  G.  A, 
Hentt.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  W.  B.  Wollen. 
13mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00, 

The  hero,  a  young  English  lad.  after  rather  a  stormy  boyhood, 
emigrates  to  Australia,  and  gets  employment  as  an  otficer  in  the 
mounted  police.  A  few  years  of  active  work  on  the  frontier, 
where  he  has  many  a  brush  with  both  natives  and  bushrangers, 
gain  him  promotion  to  a  captaincy,  and  he  eventually  settles 
down  to  the  peaceful  life  of  a  squatter. 

"  Mr.  Henty  has  nerer  published  a  more  readable,  a  more  carefully  con- 
structed, or  a  better  written  story  than  this."— Spectator. 

Under  Drake's  Flag :  A  Tale  of  the  Spanish  Main.     By  G.  A. 

Henty.     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Gordon  Browne. 

13mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

A  story  of  the  days  when  England  and  Spain  struggled  for  the 
supremacy  of  the  sea.  The  heroes  sail  as  lads  with  Drake  in  the 
Pacific  expedition,  and  in  his  great  voyage  of  circumnavigation. 
The  historical  portion  of  the  story  is  absolutely  to  be  relied  upon, 
but  this  will  perhaps  be  less  attractive  than  the  great  variety  of 
exciting  adventure  through  which  the  voung  heroes  pass  in  the 
cour.se  of  their  voyages. 

"  A  book  of  adventure,  where  the  hero  meets  with  experience  enough,  one 
would  think,  to  turn  his  hair  gray." — Harper'' s  Monthly  Magazine. 

By  Sheer  Pluck ".  A  Tale  of  the  Ashanti  War.     By  Q.  A.  Henty, 

With  full- page    Illustrations    by  Gordon    Browne.     12mo. 

cloth,  price  $1.00. 

The  author  has  woven,  in  a  tale  of  thrilling  interest,  all  the  de- 
tails of  the  Ashanti  campaign,  of  which  he  was  himself  a  witness. 
His  hero,  after  many  exciting  adventures  in  the  interior,  is  de- 
tained a  prisoner  by  the  king  just  before  the  outbreak  of  tl»e  war, 
but  escapes,  and  accompanies  the  English  expedition  on  their 
march  to  Coomassie. 

"  Mr.  Henty  keeps  up  bis  reputation  as  »  writer  of  boys'  stories.  '  By  Sheer 
Plucls '  will  be  eagerly  read."— .^tAenceurrv 


6  A.  L.  BURT'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


By  Pike  and  Dyke  :  A  Tale  of  the  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic. 
By  Q.  A.  Hemty,     With  full-page  Illustrations  by  Maynakb 
Brown,  and  4  Maps.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
In  this  story  Mr.  Henty  traces  the  adventures  and  brave  deeds 
of  an  English  boy  in  the  household  of  the  ablest  man  of  bis  age- 
William  the  Silent.     Edward  Martin,  the  son  of  an  English  sea- 
captam,  enters  the  service  of  the  Prince  as  a  volunteer,  and  is  em- 
ployed by  him  in  many  dangerous  and  responsible  missions,  in  the 
discharge  of  which  he  passes  through  the  great  sieges  of  the  tima 
He  ultimately  settles  down  as  Sir  Edward  Martin. 

"  Boys  with  a  turn  for  historical  research  will  be  enchanted  with  the  book, 
while  the  rest  who  only  care  for  adventure, will  be  students  in  spite  of  them 
selves." — St.  James''  Gazette. 

St.  George  for  England  :  A  Tale  of  Cressy  and  Poitiers.  By 
G.  A.  Hexty.  With  full-page  Illustrations  by  GORDON 
Browne.     12mo,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

No  portion  of  English  history  is  more  crowded  with  great  events 
than  that  of  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  Cressy  and  Poitiers;  the 
destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet;  the  plague  of  the  Black  Death; 
tbe  Jacquerie  rising;  these  are  treated  by  the  author  in  "  St. 
George  for  England."  The  hero  of  the  story,  although  of  good 
family,  begins  life  as  a  London  apprentice,  but  after  countless  ad. 
ventures  and  perils  becomes  by  valor  and  good  conduct  the  squire, 
and  at  last  the  trusted  friend  of  the  Black  Prince. 

"  Mr.  Henty  has  developed  for  himself  a  type  of  historical  n«vel  for  boys 
which  bids  fair  to  supplement,  on  their  behalf,  the  historical  labors  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott  in  the  land  of  fiction."— TVie  Standard. 

Captain's  Kidd's  Gold :  The  True  Story  of  an  Adventurous  Sailor 
Boy.  By  James  Franklin  FiTTS.  12rao,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 
There  is  something  fascinating  to  the  average  youth  in  the  very 
idea  of  buried  treasure.  A  vision  arises  before  his  eyes  of  swarthy 
Portuguese  and  Spanish  rascals,  with  black  beards  and  gleaming 
eyes — sinister-looking  fellows  who  once  on  a  time  haunted  th^ 
Spanish  Main,  sneaking  out  from  some  hidden  creek  in  their  long, 
low  schooner,  of  picaroonish  rake  and  sheer,  to  attack  an  unsus- 
pecting trading  craft.  There  were  many  famous  sea  rovers,  in 
their  day,  but  none  more  celebrated  than  Capt.  Kidd.  Perhaps 
the  most  fascinating  tale  of  all  is  Mr.  Fitts'  true  story  of  an  adven 
turous  American  boy,  who  receives  from  his  dying  father  an 
ancient  bit  of  vellum,  which  the  latter  obtained  in  a  curious  way. 
The  document  bears  obscure  directions  purporting  to  locate  a  cer 
tain  island  in  the  Bahama  group,  and  a  considerable  treasure 
buried  there  by  two  of  Kidd's  crew.  The  hero  of  this  book, 
Paul  Jones  Garry,  is  an  ambitious,  persevering  lad,  of  salt-water 
New  England  ancestry,  and  his  efforts  to  reach  the  island  and 
secure  the  money  form  one  of  the  most  absorbing  tales  for  our 
youtk  that  Uas  come  from  the  press. 


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